By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Musa Hassan Yakubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winner of the Dekina-Okura State Constituency by-election held on Saturday in Kogi State.
Announcing the results at the Egume Collation Centre, the Returning Officer, Prof. Emmanuel Eneche Onoja of the Federal University Lokoja, said Yakubu secured 55,073 votes to defeat his closest rival, Godwin Meliga of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 1,038 votes.
Other results announced showed Joseph Egene Ugbede of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) with 445 votes, Amos Ahiaba of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) with 141 votes, Rilwan Mudi of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) with 85 votes, and Yakubu Ugbede of Action Alliance (AA) with 16 votes.
The election was largely peaceful, though electoral materials arrived late in some polling units. Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Miller Dantawaye, who led security monitoring operations, assured voters of adequate deployment and warned troublemakers against disrupting the process.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr. Oliver Agundu, commended security agencies and voters for the peaceful exercise but admitted there were “teething issues” and reports of attempted disruptions, which security operatives quickly contained.
While APC leaders hailed the poll as free, fair, and transparent, opposition voices disagreed. APM candidate, Joseph Egene, alleged irregularities, including voter intimidation, ballot destruction, and diversion of electoral materials to a hotel in Anyigba.
Despite the controversies, INEC declared APC’s Yakubu duly elected as representative of Dekina-Okura State Constituency.