The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the governorship elections in Plateau State inconclusive following the inability of the leading party, the APC, to obtain a margin higher than the number of cancelled votes.
According to the results declared by State Returning Officer, Prof. Richard Anande, the APC polled 583,255 votes against 538,326 votes scored by its closest rival, the PDP..
The lead margin between the two parties is 44,929 while total cancelled votes, nearly 5,000 votes lower than the total cancelled votes – 49,377.
The cancelled votes spread across 17 Registration Areas and 20 polling units in different Local Government Area of the State.
A total of 570 votes were cancelled in Barkin Ladi LGA, 30,78 in Bassa, 4,157 in Jos North and 5,314 in Bokkos.
Similarly, 2,627 votes were cancelled in Kanam, 5,501 in Langtang South and 1,144 in Pankshin LGAs.
Governor Lalong’s home LGA, Shendam also recorded 851 cancelled votes as Wase with about 1,000 cancelled votes.
The area with the highest number of cancelled votes is Mangu LGA with 26,135 cancelled votes across three Registration Areas and 20 polling units
All the locations the cancelled votes were as a result of over-voting and deliberate failure to make use of the electronic voter accreditation system.
A rerun election is expected to be conducted in the affected locations in 21 days
