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LIVE UPDATES: Uzodimma Declared Imo Winner, Kogi Collation Begins, Bayelsa Adjourned
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has held the first off-cycle polls since the 2023 general elections with Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi State residents deciding on their governors for new four-year terms.
A total of 46,084 regular and ad hoc staff were deployed in the three states, according to the electoral body.
At least 126 national and international organisations were accredited with 11,000 observers deployed for the elections, while 80 media organisations applied to deploy 1,203 personnel, including journalists and technical/support staff.
All 18 political parties contested in Kogi, while Imo and Bayelsa have 17 and 16 candidates, respectively. The parties deployed 137,934 agents made up of 130,093 polling and 7,841 collation agents for the election.
To ensure a secure environment for electoral conduct, the police mobilised a total of 92,565 personnel, including 27,000 in Bayelsa, 25,565 in Imo, and 40,000 in Kogi, and several assets such as five helicopters and 15 gunboats.
The Federal Road Safety Corps also deployed 1,500 operatives and 105 vehicles.
According to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the elections would be held in 10,470 polling units across 649 electoral wards in 56 local government areas.
12:28 pm: Results for Kabba-Bunu LGA, Kogi State (CODE 10)
A – 17
AA – 196
AAC – 23
ADC – 1,537
ADP – 73
APC – 12,376
APGA – 16
APM – 08
APP – 10
BP – 03
LP – 07
NNPP – 07
NRM – 16
PDP – 8,566
PRP – 12
SDP – 942
YPP – 11
ZLP – 03
Total Valid Votes: 23,823
Rejected Votes: 419
Total Votes Cast: 24,242
No. of Registered Voters: 87,162
Total No. of Accredited Voters: 24,242
Election Officer: Joy Daniel
LG Collation Officer: N/A
There was a cancellation in Polling Unit 09 at RA 10 with 174 total registered voters. According to the LG collation officer, the cancellation was a result of the refusal to use the BVAS. No cancellations or incidents of violence, according to the collation officer.
12:19 pm: While the Kogi State Returning Officer assures the complainants that their petitions will be reviewed by INEC, the SDP representative, Mr Edibo, says it is a matter of law that the collation should not continue until the issues raised are addressed.
Nevertheless, collation continues.
12:16 pm: The PDP representative at the Kogi Collation Centre, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed Mahmud, says he adopted the petition filed by the SDP.
In his remarks, however, the representative of the APC objects to the complaints made by the previous speakers, saying there were no such issues as mentioned by the SDP and the PDP.
12:14 pm: The representative of the SDP in Kogi, David Edibo, says he has petitions concerning the elections in Okehi, Okene and some polling units in Lokoja LGA due to alleged corrupt practices and sundry issues.
He adds that party agents were not allowed near the voting areas in Okehi and Okene LGAs.
12:12 pm: The Bayelsa Collation Centre adjourns sitting till 3 pm when other results are expected to have come in.
12:05 pm: Results for Yagba West LG, Kogi (CODE 21)
A – 29
AA – 31
AAC – 16
ADC – 4,556
ADP – 59
APC – 7,969
APGA – 05
APM – 04
APP – 03
BP – 01
LP – 03
NNPP – 03
NRM – 09
PDP – 3,010
PRP – 30
SDP – 1,002
YPP – 05
ZLP – 03
Total Valid Votes: 16,738
Rejected Votes: 363
Total Votes Cast: 17,101
No. of Registered Voters: 51,234
Total No. of Accredited Voters: 17,152
Electoral Officer: Mohammed
LG Collation Officer: Prof Christian Agbo of the University of Nsukka
No cancellations and incidents of violence, according to the Collation Officer.
11:59 am: Results for Idah LGA, Kogi (CODE 07)
A – 39
AA – 03
AAC – 08
ADC – 91
ADP – 22
APC – 20,33
APGA – 18
APM – 03
APP – 58
BP – 03
LP – 10
NNPP – 06
NRM – 05
PDP – 271
PRP – 51
SDP – 20,059
YPP – 46
ZLP – 16
Total Valid Votes: 22,742
Rejected Votes: 280
Total Votes Cast: 23,022
No. of Registered Voters: 64,339
Total No. of Accredited Voters: 23,044
No incident of cancellation is recorded.
11:53 am: The results for Ogori Magongo LGA, Kogi State are received after the correction of mix-ups.
11:52 am: Results for Yenagoa LGA (15 Wards) in Bayelsa State
APC – 14,534
LP – 244
PDP – 37,777
Number of Registered voters: 218,394
Accredited Voters: 54,380
11:51 am: According to the LGA collation officer in Ogori Magongo, Kogi, the election was only held in one ward, Oshobane — it was not conducted in nine wards.
11:47 am: The results in Ogori Magongo LGA, Kogi have been stepped down due to some mix-ups in the figures.
11:40 am: The collation officer for Ogori Magongo LGA in Kogi State says results were not received from 10 Registration Areas.
11:39 am: Results for Ogori Magongo LGA in Kogi State (CODE O1).
A – 00
AA – 00
AAC – 00
ADC – 11
ADP – 01
APC – 362
APGA – 00
APM – 00
APP – 00
BP – 00
LP – 01
NNPP – 00
NRM – 02
PDP – 86
PRP – 00
SDP – 195
YPP – 00
ZLP – 00
Total Valid Votes: 658
Rejected Votes: 07
Total Votes Cast: 665
No. of Registered Voters: 17,688
Total No. of Accredited Voters: 665
Electoral Officer: Garba Isah
LG Collation Officer: Dr. Kingsley Ogunemilo, University of Nsukka
11:32 am: Results for Ogbia LGA in Bayelsa State
APC – 16,319
LP – 57
PDP – 18,435
Number of Registered voters: 119,571
Accredited Voters: 36,955
11:26 am: Kogi Returning Officer, Prof. Urama, says, as electoral officials, they have taken an oath of neutrality.
He calls on all stakeholders present to cooperate with them, assuring the public that the electoral officials will dispense their assignment with fairness and honesty.
News
Nigeria Issues Safety Advisory to Citizens in South Africa over attacks on foreigners
Nigerian business owners were specifically cautioned to take preventive measures, including shutting down operations on Freedom Day, April 27, and possibly extending closures through April 28 and 29, noting that foreign-owned businesses are often targets during such unrest.
• Anti – immigrant groups in South Africa protest
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has urged Nigerian citizens residing in South Africa to exercise caution and strictly adhere to safety advisories amid rising anti-foreigner protests in parts of the country.
According to the advisory, intelligence reports indicate that additional protests are scheduled to take place in Gauteng Province between April 27 and April 29, with demonstrators reportedly seeking to pressure the South African government over the presence of foreign nationals.
NiDCOM in a press release signed by its Head, Media, a public Relations and Protocols Unit, Abdur-Rahman Balogun advised Nigerians to avoid engaging with protest groups, steer clear of confrontation, and closely monitor local media for updates on the security situation.
The commission also stressed the importance of remaining law-abiding at all times.
Nigerian business owners were specifically cautioned to take preventive measures, including shutting down operations on Freedom Day, April 27, and possibly extending closures through April 28 and 29, noting that foreign-owned businesses are often targets during such unrest.
NiDCOM reaffirmed its support for the position of the Consul-General in Johannesburg, Ambassador Ninikanwa O. Okey-Uche, stating that the consulate remains operational and is working closely with South African security agencies to safeguard Nigerian nationals.
South Africa is home to about 2.4 million migrants, just less than 4% of the population, according to official figures. However, many more are thought to be in the country unofficially.Most come from neighbouring countries such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, which have a history of providing migrant labour to their wealthy neighbour. A smaller number come from Nigeria.
News
Kenyan President mocks Nigerians’ spoken English
As former British colonies, both Kenya and Nigeria share English as an official language, but each country has developed distinct spoken varieties with different phonetic structures.
“If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don’t know what they are saying – you need a translator; Kenyans spoke “some of the best English in the world”, boast Kenyan President William Ruto, while addressing Kenyans in Italy this week.
Earlier this month, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu faced a backlash from Kenyans online after stating that Nigerians were “better off than those in Kenya and other African countries” despite rising fuel prices at home.
Ruto’s remarks drew fierce condemnation from Nigerians and other Africans online who accused the Kenyan leader of demeaning a fellow African nation.”
English is a colonial language, not a measure of intelligence, capability, or national progress,” wrote Hopewell Chin’ono, a Zimbabwean journalist.
These differences reflect the influence of indigenous languages – Nigeria has more than 500 languages which shape its cadence and intonation, while Kenya’s Bantu, Nilotic and Cushitic mix give rise to its own accents.
But in his address to the diaspora gathering, Ruto said Kenya’s education system produced strong English proficiency and that it was difficult to understand Nigerians when they spoke English.
“Our education is good. Our English is good. We speak some of the best English in the world. If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don’t know what they are saying. You need a translator even when they are speaking English,” he said, sparking laughter in the room.
“We have some of the best human capital anywhere in the world. We just need to sharpen it with more training,” Ruto added.
His remarks have led to widespread reactions on social media, with many users criticising the Kenyan leader for showcasing a “deep inferiority complex rooted in colonial conditioning”.
“Ruto is mocking the English of the country with a Nobel Prize for literature winner.The Nation of Achebe and Chimamanda,” former Nigerian senator Shehu Sani posted on X, referring to Wole Soyinka – the country’s only Nobel Prize winner – along with acclaimed authors Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Other social media users urged Ruto to focus on addressing pressing issues facing his citizens – such as the cost of living and unemployment – rather than engaging in what they described as distractions.
News
Jonathan visits Tinubu in Aso Rock
Jonathan’s latest visit comes months after his last known appearance at the State House in November 2025, shortly after his evacuation from Guinea-Bissau amid a political crisis.
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Wednesday received former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in what officials described as part of ongoing high-level consultations on regional and continental issues.
The meeting, which was held behind closed doors at the State House, began at about 4 pm.
Sources familiar with the engagement indicated that the interaction aligns with a pattern of periodic consultations between both leaders, particularly on political developments in West Africa and Nigeria’s broader diplomatic and continental engagements..
Images from the meeting showed both leaders in a relaxed setting, engaged in conversation inside the President’s office.
Jonathan’s latest visit comes months after his last known appearance at the State House in November 2025, shortly after his evacuation from Guinea-Bissau amid a political crisis.
The former president had been leading a West African Elders Forum election observation mission when soldiers loyal to Brigadier-General Dinis Incanha reportedly staged a coup, detaining incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló ahead of the official announcement of the November 23 presidential election results.
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