INEC Declares Jalingo, Yorro, and Zing By-election Inconclusive

The Jalingo, Yorro, and Zing House of Representative by-election has been declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

This was disclosed by the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Daniel Ayuba after the collation of results from the three local government councils that made up the constituency in Jalingo.

Ayuba reported that Alhaji Tafida Sadiq, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, received 17,214 votes overall, while Mr. Innocent Jabayang, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate and first runner-up, received 15,537 votes. This indicates a 1,677-vote disparity between the two candidates.

“In the current electoral Act, there is a principle which stipulates that, if the margin of victory is less than the total number of collected PVCs in the areas where the election is canceled, the result cannot be declared and anyone declared returned. 

“From the computation that we have done and the results available to us, the margin of victory is less than the total number of collected PVCs in the areas where the election did not hold or was canceled, which is 14,759.

As a result, there will be a rerun between the candidate who received the most votes and the first runner-up in the corresponding areas because the election is tied.

Ismaila Maihanchi, the winner of the general election in February 2023, passed away before the 10th National Assembly was sworn in, leaving a void that our correspondent reports was filled on Saturday.