Wike, Ekweremadu Hail Mark’s Victory

 
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has congratulated former Senate President, Senator David Mark for emerging victorious in last Saturday’s re-run polls.
Mark ,a candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defeated his closest rival, Mr. Daniel Onjeh of All Progressives Congress (APC) after winning in five of the nine local government areas of Benue South Senatorial district.
According to the results announced by the INEC Returning Officer, Professor Isiaka Eneji, Mark had 18,468 votes in Otukpo, his native local government, while Onjeh polled 12,203.
In Obadigbo LGA, Mark scored 6,844 while Onjeh scored 8,882. Others are Ado LGA, Mark 6,513, Onjeh 6,370; Agatu LGA, Mark 7,986, Onjeh 3,456; Okpokwu LGA, Mark 11,935, Onjeh 6,830; Apa LGA – Mark 9,191, Onjeh 4,942.

In a congratulatory message to Senator Mark on his victory at the rerun Benue South Senatorial District Election, Wike praised the people of Benue South Senatorial District for the revalidation of the mandate of former Senate President, stating that they have proven that power resides with the people.
He said that the people of the senatorial district with their choice have appreciated Senator David Mark for his contributions to their development, democracy and National growth.
He noted that by casting their votes for the distinguished former Senate President, the Benue South Senatorial District constituents extended a worthy gift to the outstanding lawmaker.
He urged Senator David Mark to continue to play his stabilising role at the National Assembly for the present dispensation to benefit from his vast experience in legislative matters.
While praying God to grant Senator David Mark good health to discharge his responsibilities to his constituents and the nation, Wike appealed to him to accommodate his political opponents as a political father for the greater good of the Benue South Senatorial District.
Recall that the Court of Appeal, sitting in Makurdi, had on November 28 last year nullified the election of the former senate president, upturning his confirmation last October as winner of the March 28, 2015 senatorial election by the election petitions tribunal.
The appeal court also ordered a rerun of the poll within 90 days of its ruling.
Similarly, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday, congratulated the immediate past Senate President, David Mark, on his victory in the rerun election for the Benue South Senatorial seat, held on Saturday.
Ekweremadu, in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Uche Anichukwu, in Abuja, described the victory as one, which reaffirmed Mark’s April 2015 victory in the senatorial district.
He, therefore, tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission, to remain focused in the conduct of the remaining rerun elections.
He commended the people of the Benue South district for their vigilance and gallantry in defence of democracy.
He noted that the people, “proved, once again, that you cannot deceive all the people all the time.”
He stressed that both the senatorial district and the nation’s democracy were better off with the victory of Mark, who was the candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party for the poll, given his national pedigree, institutional memory, legislative experience, and commitment to national development.
Ekweremadu said, “I congratulate Senator Mark and our loyal party men and women on this well-deserved victory, which reaffirms his previous victory in April 2015.
“We have always been confident that even if the election should be conducted a million times, PDP and Senator Mark would still win as many times.”
Ekweremadu, expressed worry over the postponement of the National Assembly rerun election in Imo North Senatorial District.
But he urged the people to remain calm and steadfast, just as he called on INEC to do everything within its powers to ensure the sanctity of the electoral process.
He said, “I urge the people of areas where reruns are being expected to emulate the vigilance and determination of the people of Bayelsa and now Benue South because they not only voted, but defied intimidation and manipulations to ensure that their votes counted; and they did so within the ambit of the law.
In a related development, the PDP also won the three legislative positions contested for in Saturday’s House of Representatives rerun polls in Taraba State.
In Kogi State results of the rerun ordered by the Court of Appeal for eight constituencies were only partially declared as the senatorial rerun election in two districts, Kogi East and Central, were declared inconclusive based on reasons yet to be fully disclosed.
The PDP, however, received some boost in the Ogirimagongo/Okene federal constituency where its candidate won unopposed as well as getting three additional new members in the state assembly rerun election.
In Benue South as well as in Taraba, the closeness of the vote tally showed how tense the repeat polls were . Already, the National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff, on behalf of the National Working Committee (NWC) has congratulated Mark on his victory which he said left no one in doubt of the popularity of the veteran senator and the PDP not only in Benue State, but also in the North Central geo-political zone.
The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary,
Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday described Mark as a valuable statesman and national leader intensely needed in the Senate, while thanking Nigerians for their renewed support for the PDP and its candidates as demonstrated in recent elections across the country.
“It is instructive to note that the PDP had won 70 percent of all the polls conducted since May 29, 2015, a development that underlines the fact of its deep roots and popularity as a brand, irrespective of the temporary setback of the 2015 general elections.
“We therefore call on all members of our great party to respond to the gesture by Nigerians by uniting behind the ideals of the PDP and visions of its founding fathers and reposition the party for the challenges ahead.”
Taraba Resident Electoral Commissioner Habu Zarma who announced PDP’s victory at a press briefing yesterday in Jalingo said the PDP candidate, Dan-Asabe Hosea, won the Sardauna/Kurmi/Gashaka Federal Constituency with 37,645 votes, while his closest rival, Ibrahim Elsudi of the APC got 37,609 votes.
The commissioner added that the former Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Abel Diah of the PDP, also defeated Emmanuel Bongo of the APC for the Mbamnga state constituency with 7,825 votes as against 5,642 votes.
He said that Emmanuel Dame of the PDP got the victory for Ardo Kola state constituency with 12,138 votes over Sanusi Janbawaile of the APC who got 11,047 votes. The REC thanked stakeholders for ensuring peaceful elections across the affected areas in the state.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Yola had in December 2015 nullified the elections in the constituencies and ordered a rerun in some polling units across the three local government areas of the state.
In Kogi East senatorial rerun, the returning officer declared the exercise inconclusive following a controversy stoked by one Abdulwahab Yunusa who claimed to be the Labour Party (LP) candidate.
Ibrahim Itodo the original candidate whose name was submitted to INEC had withdrawn from the race but the party substituted him against the directive of INEC that they could not substitute their candidates for the rerun.
The PDP candidate, Attai Ali Aidoko was leading 46, 800 against LP’s 11, 090.
INEC seemed not too sure of what to do on a petition by a candidate they did not recognise hence they had to confer with the headquarters.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner Halilu Pai was not available when The Guardian called to ascertain the true position of things .
However, the Head of Department , Voter Education in the INEC office, Daniel Kure said they were still consulting and were waiting for directives from their Abuja office.
In Kogi Central Senatorial rerun , Ahmed Salau Ogembe of the PDP scored 45, 468, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi of Progressive People Aliance (PPA) 31, 163, while Dr. Moses Wakili of Social Democratic Party (SDP) scored 9, 962.
INEC Returning Officer Mr. Salihu James, declared the result inconclusive following the cancelation of over 20,000 votes which affected the entire Otutu ward, two polling units at Upogoro in Okene Local Council and also in Karaworo , Eresuha and Inozomi wards in Adavi Council due to disruption of the process.
In Okene/Ogorimagogo Federal Constituency, Tijani Damisa of PDP was elected unopposed.
For Kogi East State Assembly rerun, Hassan Baiwa Abdullai of the APC won in Okura Constituency, with 8,515 t while in Dekina/Biraidu Idoko Moses Ododo also of the APC, won.
Earlier, former Senate President and winner of the February 20 Benue South Senatorial District re-run election, David Mark, had appealed to his main challenger, Daniel Onjeh of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to join him in moving Idomaland forward.
Mark made the call yesterday during his first press conference after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC declared him winner.
“I want to thank all sons and daughters of Idomaland because this victory is for us, not for David Mark. I also want to urge those whose political interest might have clashed with mine to join hands with me in moving Idomaland forward,” he said.
He declared that election is over and all efforts must be geared towards the betterment of the people.
“I want to thank the people of zone c for their support and promised that I will not disappoint them.
“The election is over and I am ready to serve Idomaland again,” he added.
Dismissing calls by the APC that the election should be declared inconclusive, Senator Mark said his major concern is on how to ensure that Idomaland is better than it was in the past, adding that strength is in unity.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had earlier declared former Senate President, David Mark, of the Peoples’ Democratic Party as the winner of the rerun election in Benue South Senatorial District.
Mark defeated former student union leader and candidate of the All Progressives Congress to secure a fifth term in the Senate.
Announcing the results, yesterday morning, the Returning Officer, Prof. Ishaku Eneji, declared Mark winner with 84,192 votes; ahead of Onjeh who polled a total of 71,621 votes.