By Ummi Ismaeel, Mina
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Alhaji Shehu Sale Slow, has been declared winner of the last Saturday’s re-run election of Magama-Rijau Federal Constituency conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Recall that the election, which Shehu Sale Slow emerged as winner on the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC) to represent the Magama-Rijau Federal Constituency was annulled, as the party was disqualified to contest in the re-run election.
INEC Returning Officer (RO), Professor Yahaya Tanko Baba of the Usman Danfodio University (UDU), Sokoto, who announced the results in Rijau, headquarters of the Local Government Area, described the exercise as not just peaceful but successful.
Yahaya said that the candidate of APGA, Alhaji Shehu Sale Slow, polled 22, 905 votes to clinch the Magama/Rijau Federal constituency seat after defeating his closest rival, Mr. Emmanuel Alamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 22, 507 votes in the keenly contested election.
Shehu Sale Slow, who has been the occupant of the seat before the Supreme Court judgment defeced to APGA less than a week after the governorship candidate of the party in the 2019 general election, Dr. Joshua Bawa, resigned membership of the party, citing ‘personal reasons’ for his action.
The Supreme Court judgement however quashed his (Shehu Sale) election over allegations of not resigning from his job and also exempted the party (APC) from contesting in the Saturdays’ re-run election.
Meanwhile, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Niger State, Professor Sam Egwu, commended the electorate for their peaceful conduct throughout the duration of the election.
It was however gathered that notwithstanding noticeable hitches, the conduct of the re-run election for the Magama Rijau federal constituency showed improvement in the conduct of eligible voters throughout the process compared to previous exercises.