•Report by Kamil Opeyemi
The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar has won the presidential election in President Muhammadu Buhari’s state, Katsina.
Abubakar secured a total of 489,045 to defeat his closest rival, the All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Tinubu who polled 482,283 votes and other candidates.
Candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso, came in at third with 69,386, followed by Labour Party flagbearer Peter Obi who secured 6,376 votes.
Mr Abubakar was declared winner of the poll by the Returning Officer of the state, Professor Mua’zu Abubakar Gusau, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Gusau, at the INEC Presidential Election Collation Centre in Katsina.
The PDP candidate won 13 out of the state’s 34 LGAs with APC’s Tinubu winning 21 LGAs. Despite winning fewer LGAs, Mr Abubakar was able to secure victory in the state which had voted by a landslide in support of President Buhari in 2015 and 2019 and which also has an APC Governor.
The total number of registered voters in the state was 3,516,719 but only about a third of that number, 1,097,663 were accredited to vote.
According to the INEC Returning Officer in the state, elections were cancelled in certain polling units in Baure, Danmusa, Dutsinma, Funtua, Kafur, Kankara, Katsina, Kurfi, Kusada, Mai’adua, Malumfashi, Mashi, Sabuwa and Safana LGAs.
The cancellations were due to thuggery, insecurity, resistance, violence or over voting and obstruction.