INEC Declares APC Candidate Winner Of Kebbi Assembly By-election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rabiu Garba Aiki, the winner of the Zuru State Constituency by-election in Kebbi State.

Aiki was declared the winner on Saturday after polling 4,887 votes to defeat his closest rival, Aliyu Galadima Muhammad of the Labour Party, who scored 168 votes.

NEWSNGR reports that the result was announced at the collation centre by the Returning Officer and Collation Officer, Prof. Muhammad Bashar of the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi.

According to the official results announced by INEC, Aiki maintained a commanding lead across the constituency, winning in all the 10 wards where the election was conducted.

Bashar said the constituency had 109,385 registered voters, out of which 5,156 voters were accredited for the exercise.

He added that 5,055 valid votes were recorded, while 95 votes were rejected.

The figures showed that the APC candidate won by a wide margin, securing the majority of votes cast in the by-election.

The by-election was conducted to fill the vacant seat created by the death of the former Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Muhammad Usman Zuru.

Zuru’s death had left the constituency without representation in the state legislature, prompting INEC to conduct the poll in line with electoral provisions.

With the declaration, the APC has retained the Zuru State Constituency seat in the Kebbi State House of Assembly.

Although the election was largely peaceful, voter turnout was low across most polling units in the constituency.

Out of 109,385 registered voters, only 5,156 were accredited, representing a small fraction of the total number of eligible voters.

Security operatives and election officials were present at polling units during the exercise, which was conducted without major disruption.

The APC’s victory further strengthens its position in the Kebbi State House of Assembly.