BREAKING: INEC Declares APC's Lalong As Plateau State Governor-elect
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared the incumbent Governor of Plateau State and candidate of the APC, Simon Lalong, as the governor-elect in Plateau State.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Richard Anande, who declared the result, said Lalong got 595, 587 votes, while his closest rival and candidate of the main opposition PDP, Senator Jeremiah Useni, got 546, 813 votes.
It would be recalled that the electoral umpire (INEC) had earlier declared the election inconclusive because the difference between the two major contenders, APC and PDP, was less than the total votes cancelled.
According to INEC, because the difference between the two major contenders is 44,929 is less than the cancelled votes of 49,347, the result cannot be declared.
This is based on Regulation 34 (e) of the commission's Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections. It states: “Where the margin of lead between the two leading candidates is not in excess of total number of registered voters of the Polling Units... the returning officer shall decline to make a return until polls have taken place in the affected units... "
While declaring the winner, Returning Officer for the election and the Vice Chancellor of University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Prof. Richard Anande Kimber said; “Barrister Simon Bako Lalong of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
On the other hand, the State Assembly seat for Langtang South Constituency was won by Hon. Zimtim Sohchang of the PDP who scored 17, 984 votes to defeat the incumbent, Hon. Jackson Ponzhi Danladi of the APC who got 15, 041 votes.