Coalition of opposition leaders and their supporters got a shocker following the outcome of the just-concluded re-run and bye-elections, which took place in 12 states across the nation on Saturday.
Before the election, the opposition leaders, who are targeting President Bola Tinubu’s removal in 2027, participated in the election via the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to test their popularity.
The interim National Chairman of ADC, Senator David Mark, had, prior to the poll, appealed to Nigerians, particularly eligible voters, to support the party’s candidates for all the vacant seats.
Similarly, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai and other key members of the coalition, vigorously campaigned for ADC candidates in Anambra, Kaduna, Edo and other states.
However, reports show that the All Progressives Congress, APC, cleared the majority of the seats.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, also recorded some victories, while the ADC failed to secure any seat.
In Enugu State, it was another stalemate as the much anticipated Enugu South Urban Constituency re-run election could not hold. A clash was reported at the polling units located in Uwani Boys Secondary School, with the PDP, the APC and the Labour Party trading blame. It is the fourth time the election was marred by a crisis.
The APC, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, won 12 seats, APGA two seats, while the NNPP and PDP took one seat each.
The vacant seats in the Edo Central Senatorial District, Anambra South Senatorial District, Ibadan North Federal Constituency, Onitsha North 1 and Bagwai Shanono Constituency were claimed by APC, PDP, APGA, and NNPP, respectively.
Election marred by apathy, vote buying and violence
While there was low turnout of voters in some states, the bye-elections were also marred by vote-buying and violence, especially in Ogun, Kaduna, Anambra and Kano States.
While alleged vote-buying marred the exercise in Ogun and Kaduna States, suspected political thugs disrupted the election in some parts of Kano State.
Ogun State
Media reports that the social media was on Saturday morning, flooded with video clips of suspects accused of attempting to buy votes.
Security operatives comprising police and operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, arrested two chieftains of the PDP and two others suspected to be INEC officials with a huge amount of money allegedly meant for vote-buying.
The suspects were nabbed at a hotel in Iperu-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of the State just a few hours before the election.
Kaduna
As early as 3:30 am on the election day, security operatives arrested a suspected vote-buyer, carrying bags filled with cash to the tune of N25m, allegedly meant to compromise the by-election in some parts of the state.
It was alleged that the agents of the opposition PDP were planning to convey the cash to polling units to induce votes before they were arrested following intelligence.
However, the chairman of the party in Kaduna State, Edward Marshal, dismissed the allegation, describing it as “baseless”.
He insisted that the seized cash was for the party’s field logistics and accredited party agents.
Kano State
About 288 thugs were arrested with several dangerous weapons at the four local government areas where the by-elections were conducted on Saturday.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Haruna told Journalist on Sunday that the suspects planned to disrupt the election in polling units when luck ran out of them.
He noted that “the suspects will be charged to court immediately the ongoing investigation is concluded”.
Anambra State
Violence was recorded in some parts of Anambra State during the exercise.
The APC governorship candidate for the November election, Nicholas Ukachukwu was accused of engaging in a physical fight with the state Commissioner for Environment, Felix Odimegwu.
According to reports, the commissioner was attacked by thugs in Ezinifite in the Nnewi South Local Government Area during the by-elections.
The state Governor, Chukwuma Soludo made the allegation shortly after casting his vote for the Anambra South Senatorial District at his polling unit, Ofiyi Square, 002, Isuofia, in the Aguata Local Government Area of the state.
Labour Party alleges fraud in Edo by-elections
The Labour Party in Edo State on Sunday accused the ruling APC of oppressing the opposition parties to win the by-elections.
The Labour Party Chairman, Edo State chapter, Comrade Kelly Ogbaloi told Newsmen on Sunday that “the by-election was nothing different from the usual tactic of the APC”
According to him, it was still the old tactic of fraud, vote buying, violence and oppression being meted against the opposition parties. There was nothing more than that in the Saturday by-election.
Asked if the party is ready to challenge the outcome in the court, the Labour Party Chairman said, “we don’t intend to seek any redress because already, our party has issues with INEC.
“We have other pressing issues that need our attention more than going to court over the election. There is no assurance of getting justice when the APC has hijacked everything”.
By-elections results do not reflect coalition’s strength – ADC
ADC on Sunday faulted the outcome of the elections, describing them as marred by intimidation and corruption.
In a statement, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, stressed that the results of the by-elections do not reflect the true strength of the party as the coalition platform for opposition leaders.
He further argued that the exercise once again highlighted the alleged decline of Nigeria’s electoral process under the current administration led by President Bola Tinubu and the APC.