The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared the Kaura Namoda South State Constituency by-election in Zamfara State inconclusive.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Lawal Sa’adu of the Federal University, Gusau, announced the decision on Saturday, citing irregularities and cancellations in several polling units.
According to him, the margin between the two leading parties, the All Progressives Congress, APC, which polled 7,001 votes, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which scored 5,339 votes, is 1,662. The figure is lower than the 3,265 Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, collected in the affected polling units.
INEC explained that five polling units were canceled, two in Sakajiki ward with 1,298 collected PVCs, and three in Kyambarawa ward with 1,964 collected PVCs. In total, 5,446 voters were registered in the affected areas.
Citing provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC said the exercise could not be concluded until a rerun is conducted in the affected areas.
The commission added that a new date for the rerun would be announced in due course.
