Buhari's Apc Controls 22 Of Nigeria's 36 States

The All Progressive Congress (APC) of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari now rules 22 out of Nigeria's 36 states.



The National Electoral Commission (NEC) on Sunday declared APC's Rochas Okorocha the winner of the governorship poll in the southeastern Imo state.



He won 416,996 votes against 320,705 for his rival Emeka Ihedioha of incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).



The PDP, meanwhile, retained the southeastern Abia State after its candidate Okezie Ikpeazu won 264,713 votes against 180,882 for Alex Otti of the fringe All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).



It also won the northeastern Taraba State with its candidate Darius Ishaku polling 360,318 to defeat the APC's sole woman governorship candidate Aisha Alhassan who got 275,985.



Following disruption of voting and violence in parts of Imo, Abia and Taraba states on April 11 - when elections were held - the NEC declared the results inconclusive in the three states and held supplementary election on Saturday.



With the latest results, the APC has clinched the governorship seats in 20 out of the 29 states where elections were held on April 11, while the PDP won the remaining nine.



The APC already controls Osun and Edo states where election were not held at all since the governors have not yet served out their four-year terms.



Elections were also not held in Bayelsa, Ekiti, Ondo, Anambra and Kogi states for the same reason.



In Nigeria, the tenure of a governor begins when he/she is sworn in.



In total, the APC now controls 22 out of Nigeria's 36 states, the PDP 13 - down from 20 states it had held before elections - while the APGA controls the remaining state.



Buhari, who defeated incumbent Jonathan in the March 28 elections, will be formally inaugurated on May 29 in line with a tradition that dates back to 1999, when the military handed power over to a civilian administration after decades of military rule.



His victory represented a watershed in Nigeria's political history, as he became the first opposition candidate to defeat the incumbent in a presidential election.



The former military ruler contested – but lost – the last three presidential elections since 2003, each time losing to incumbents or candidates of the PDP.



Buhari's APC has also won the majority in both arms of the Nigerian parliament, earlier held by the PDP.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Lagos