The introduction of Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and adoption of the new electoral acts has further accentuated the resolve of the Nigerian government to advance the country’s democracy by refining her electoral processes.
In their assessment of the just concluded presidential election, the Commonwealth, African Union and ECOWAS missions acknowledged that the February 25 presidential poll was better than previous ones held since 1979.
The election, therefore, came with lots of surprises- for the first time since 2003, president Muhammadu Buhari lost in his hometown of Katsina, Bola Ahmed Tinubu lost in Lagos to presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, though in 2011 the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Nuhu Ribadu lost to the then president, Goodluck Jonathan in Lagos. But it was reported that a deal was struck between him and Tinubu who was believed to have the state in his pocket.
Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Abubakar Atiku lost his traditional strongholds of South South and South East to the son of the soil, Peter Obi for the first time.
Lalong lost his senatorial bid to Rtd AVM Bali Ninkap Napoleon of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The Benue Governor, Samuel Ortom lost the senatorial election to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Titus Zam, who incidentally was his former Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi lost his senatorial bid to the Labour Party, LP, candidate for the Enugu North Senatorial District election, Okechukwu Ezea.
Enyinnaya Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) beat Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the Abia South Senatorial seat.
Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State lost his Taraba South senatorial ambition to the All Progressives Congress, APC, David Jimkuta, who polled 85,415 to defeat him as he scored 45,708 votes.
Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, was defeated by Senator Adamu Aliero of the PDP who will represent Kebbi Central Senatorial District in the 10th Senate.
Ben Ayade could not return to Senate to represent Cross River North after he was defeated by Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe of the PDP who scored 76,145 votes, as Ayade polled 56,595 votes.
