INEC fixes date for supplementary election in Zamfara constituency

• Returning officer Lawal Sa’adu confirmed cancellation affected 5,446 registered voters with 3,265 permanent voter cards already collected.
• APC led with 7,001 votes while PDP followed with 5,339, leaving a margin smaller than cancelled PVCs.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed August 21 for a supplementary election in Kaura Namoda south constituency of Zamfara state.

The resident electoral commissioner, Mahmood Isah, announced the date during a stakeholders’ meeting in Gusau on Tuesday.

He said the rerun would be conducted in five polling units spread across Kyambarawa and Sakajiki wards.

Isah explained that the August 16 by-election was declared inconclusive after results from the affected areas were cancelled due to irregularities.

He listed three polling units in Kyambarawa ward where voting would be repeated.

According to him, the units are Shiyar Magaji (Kofar Hamza) 002, Tukasu (Sabuwar Kasuwa) 009 and Kofar Fafa (Shiyar Fada).

He also disclosed that two other polling units in Sakajiki ward would take part in the supplementary poll.

“These are Alko (Shiyar Kudu) 002 and Shiyar Nufawa (Kofar MD Nuhu) 007,” the REC said.

The returning officer, Lawal Sa’adu, had earlier cancelled results from the five polling units on August 17.

Sa’adu revealed that the affected units have 5,446 registered voters with 3,265 permanent voter cards collected.

He said the All Progressives Congress secured 7,001 votes while the Peoples Democratic Party polled 5,339 votes before the cancellation.

According to him, the margin of 1,662 votes was smaller than the number of collected PVCs in the cancelled units.

He cited sections 24(2 & 3), 47(3) and 51(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 as the legal basis for the decision.

The returning officer added that the manual for election officials also mandates a supplementary election under such circumstances.