By-elections held across several Nigerian states on Saturday produced a mix of clear victories and deeply contested outcomes, marked by allegations of voter intimidation and electoral malpractice.
While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured a decisive win in Oyo State, polls in Kano and Ogun were shrouded in controversy, with political parties and security agencies trading accusations.
PDP's Victory in Oyo
In Oyo State, the PDP's Fola Oyekunle was declared the winner of the Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election. The result was announced early Sunday morning.
Oyekunle scored 18,404 votes, comfortably defeating his closest rival, Adewale Olatunji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 8,312 votes. The election was held to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Olaide Akinremi on July 10.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner for Oyo State, Dr. Adeniran Tella, the process was peaceful, with no reports of violence or malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines. However, reporters noted a low voter turnout across polling units.
Controversies, Arrests Mar Ogun Poll
Allegations of fraud and violence characterized the by-election for the Remo Federal Constituency in Ogun State. Police confirmed the arrest of two individuals identified as INEC officials and their driver for alleged electoral offenses.
The arrests were made after police intercepted a vehicle and recovered N2.5 million cash from one of the officials. The official reportedly confessed that the money was collected to facilitate the rigging process.
The PDP candidate, Bolarinwa Oluwole, alleged that thugs hired by the APC beat and chased away voters in his party's strongholds. He declared that "there was no by-election in Ogun," calling the process an act of electoral fraud.
Conversely, the APC candidate, Mrs. Adesola Elegbeji, dismissed the allegations as baseless and maintained that the election was peaceful, expressing confidence in her victory.
Hundreds of Thugs Arrested in Kano
The by-elections for the Shanono/Bagwai and Ghari constituencies in Kano State were met with conflicting claims from major political parties. The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) declared victory, hailing INEC and security agencies for a "credible" and "peaceful" exercise.
The NNPP's National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, condemned the APC’s call for a cancellation, describing the allegations of widespread irregularities as "frivolous and devoid of facts." However, the PDP rejected the results, citing widespread violence and intimidation by political thugs.
The party's chairman, Alhaji Yusuf Kibiya, described the exercise as "totally devoid of all democratic processes." The Nigeria Police Command in Kano announced the arrest of 288 suspected thugs in connection with the re-run elections, acknowledging that violence had occurred.
APC Praises Voter Turnout in Zamfara
In Zamfara, the by-election for the Kaura Namoda South Constituency was described as peaceful. The APC in the state praised the "impressive" voter turnout and commended the early arrival and responsible conduct of INEC officials and security personnel.
Despite the calm, the APC Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris, alleged that personnel of the Community Protection Guard (CPG), a state government-owned security outfit, interfered with the process. However, a media aide to Governor Dauda Lawal, Malam Mustafa Jafaru-Kaura, refuted the claim, stating that no CPG personnel were deployed to the polling units.
