Shehu Saleh APGA candidate makes history in Niger

By Aminu Garko/Minna

Mr. Shehu Saleh, candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has been declared winner of the bye-election in Niger state Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency.

The election held on Saturday.

It was the first time that APGA won a seat outside of South East, where the party is more rooted.

The INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Tanko Baba of the Usman Danfodio University Sokoto, said Saleh scored 22,965 votes to defeat Alamu Emmanuel of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who came second with 22,507 votes.

Baba said Yusuf Nasir, the candidate of the ADC, polled 336 votes.

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He explained that the total number of registered voters was 159,347, while the number of accredited voters was 46,734, with 45,808 valid votes, total votes cast 46,499 and rejected votes 691.

Prof. Samuel Egwu, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Niger, commended the electorate in the constituency for their peaceful conduct during and after the election.

Egwu also lauded efforts of the police in providing a peaceful political atmosphere before and during the electoral process.