Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the PDP has defeated Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling APC, in President Buhari’s home state, Katsina after polling 489,045 votes from across the 34 LGA in the state.

He defeated his major rival in the 2023 elections with a margin of 6,762 votes as Tinubu polled 482,045 votes to come second in the Katsina presidential election held on Saturday.

Katsina State Presidential Election Returning Officer, Prof. Ma’azu Abubakar Gusau disclosed this to journalists, election monitors/observers at the INEC Collation Centre early hours of Monday morning.

The Presidential candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso came a distant third with 69,385 votes and was followed by Peter Obi of the Labour Party who secured 6,376 votes.

Gusau gave the result of the other presidential candidates as follows:
A 255, AA 523, AAC 234, ADC 1405, ADP 1798, APGA 1391, APM 603, APP 269, BP 327, NRM 1053, PRP 1986, SDP 339,
YPP 1029 and ZLP 371.

The state returning officer, however, noted that the presidential election results were cancelled in some polling units in 15 LGAs due to thuggery, and over-voting, among other reasons.

The affected 15 LG and the number of polling units as disclosed by Gusau are as follows:

Baure where 1110 total PVC were collected; Danmusa, two polling units with 13435 total voters; Daura, one polling unit with 664 total voters 665 and 595 total collected PVC; and Dutsinma, one polling unit with 482 total voters and 496 total collected PVC.

“Others are: Funtua, 3 polling units with 1031 total votes 1031 and 553 collected PVC;
Kankara, AR07, with 603 total voters; Katsina, 7 polling units with 2833 total voters; Kurfi, one polling unit with 987 total voters; Kusada, one polling unit with 167 total voters; Maiadua, one polling unit with 367 total voters.

Others are Malumfashi, 10 polling units with 2878 total voters; Mashi, three polling units with 2279 total voters; Sabuwa, one polling unit with 315 total voters and Safana, 10 polling units with 17348 total registered voters.

Meanwhile, in one of the affected LGAs, Kafur, Gusau said: “the number is yet to be given to me but 12 polling units were affected due to thuggery. The actual registered voters and PVC collected are not available.”