The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that a supplementary election will hold on Thursday, August 21, in the Kaura-Namoda South Constituency of Zamfara State.
The decision followed the declaration of last Saturday’s by-election as inconclusive by the Returning Officer, Professor Lawal Sa’adu of the Federal University Gusau.
Professor Sa’adu explained that “the margin between the leading party and the runner-up was less than the total number of Permanent Voter Cards collected in polling units where elections were cancelled, thereby necessitating a supplementary poll.”
He further revealed that the affected polling units had a total of 5,446 registered voters, with 3,265 Permanent Voter Cards collected.
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According to him, “the All Progressives Congress scored 7,001 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party scored 5,339 votes, leaving a margin of 1,662 votes.”
Sa’adu stressed that because the margin was lower than the number of collected PVCs in the affected polling units, “the election cannot be concluded.”
Announcing the new date during a stakeholders’ meeting in Gusau on Tuesday, August 19, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mahmuda Isah, assured political parties and voters of the Commission’s readiness.
He said INEC had “put adequate measures in place to ensure a smooth and hitch-free process.”
The Commission also appealed to all stakeholders, security agencies, and political parties to work with it for the success of the August 21 supplementary election.