His closest opponent, Prince Abubakar Audu of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), trailed a distant second with 175,978 votes; while Mr. Ramat Momoh of the PAC got 1,529 votes and Professor Yusuf Obaje (DPP) got 1,259 votes.

The results were announced by the state’s INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Ayo Adakeja.

Idris thanks all

Reacting, Alhaji Idris said: “I thank God and the good people of Kogi State for this overwhelming result. In fact, this overwhelming result is dedicated to the good people of the state.

“I thank the president, all the party leaders, all my supporters and all those who worked hard to ensure that victory is ours.

“This time, I shall work even harder and more powerfully to ensure that the people get the dividends of democracy in full,” he said.

Idris extended his hands of fellowship to his opponents. But Prince Audu said the election was characterised by a high level of malpractices.

Iwu has done it again, says Audu

Audu recalled a statement credited to the INEC Chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu, following last year’s election that if given another chance, he would conduct future elections the way he conducted previous ones.

“Now Iwu has done it again,” Audu said and vowed to go to the tribunal.

PDP thanks supporters

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Professor Rufai Alkali, also thanked all the PDP supporters in the state for coming out en masse to vote in spite of “all odds.”
“Initially, the ANPP protested against exclusion but now we have proven our might democratically,” he said.

Prince Abubakar Audu, governorship candidate of the ANPP, had gone to the Election Petitions Tribunal to protest his exclusion from the April 14, 2007 election.

The tribunal ruled that the exclusion by INEC was improper and called for a re-run election, a judgment upheld by the Court of Appeal.
“It is good for the country; it is beautiful. The judiciary, INEC and the people have done their job,” Alkali said.

Also reacting, Senator Smart Adeyemi said the election results confirmed the people’s belief in the PDP as the only party that could bring meaningful development to Kogi.

Adeyemi said: “These election results are even more resounding than those which led to Alhaji Ibrahim Idris being sworn in as governor in May last year.

“Those in the opposition should apologise to Nigerians for destabilising the nation and inflicting violence on the people of Kogi State, all in the effort to occupy a position they do not deserve.

“They should also apologise for the resources expended on the re-run election and for disturbing the peace of the people who had told them that they were not on the ground. They should do the right thing and defect to the PDP,” Adeyemi said.

ANPP, AC call for cancellation

The ANPP and the Action Congress (AC) with which it ran a joint ticket in the election, as well as the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) called for the nullification of the election.

Addressing a joint press conference in Lokoja, they described the results announced by INEC as cooked to satisfy some individuals.

Their spokesman, Chief Mike Adeleye, who is the chairman of AC in the state urged their supporters not to lose hope as they would challenge the results in court.

He alleged that the results declared in four local government areas in Kogi East senatorial districts were manufactured by the PDP.

“We are going to contest the results with all the evidence at our disposal to prove to the whole world that what happened during the weekend elections were no elections but daylight robbery,” he said.

He said PDP leaders in the state were aided by the police in snatching ballot boxes in areas they knew they would lose.

But the PDP dismissed the allegations as baseless and directed them to go to the tribunal.
Results in some voting units in Adavi ankpa, Ajakuto, Kotonkarfi and 11 centres in Okene were cancelled on account of violence and irregularities.