The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11 governorship election in Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has been declared the winner of the election.

Ododo polled a total votes of 446,237 to defeat his closest challenger, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who scored 259,052 votes, with the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dino Melaye, emerging a distant third with 46,362 votes.

The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Johnson Urame, made the formal declaration at about 10.25pm on Sunday night.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier contemplated declaring the exercise inconclusive following electoral irregularities in some locations in the state, particularly Ogori Magongo local government area, where the exercise was suspended.

Following the suspension of the November 11 governorship election in some locations in Kogi State where result sheets were pre-recorded before the commencement of voting exercise, INEC had said that fresh elections might be held on Saturday, November 18, 2023, in the affected Polling Units of nine wards in Ogori Magongo LGA of the State.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday evening by INEC National Commissioner and member, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna.

The electoral umpire, however, said the contemplated fresh elections were subject to the determination of the application of the Margin of Lead Principle by the Returning Officer for the governorship election exercise.

The earlier contemplated rerun was to allow 15,136 voters to cast their votes on a new date but with the margin of lead between Ododo and other contestants surpassing 15,136, the APC candidate was consequently declared winner and governor-elect of Kogi State.