2023 ELECTIONS

February 26, 2023

2023 Elections: SGF, FCT minister lose polling units to Atiku in Adamawa

PDP Rivers rally

Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Muhammad Musa Bello, have lost their polling units, respectively to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 

Mustapha was defeated at his polling unit by Abubakar with 90 votes. 

The SGF had cast his votes at polling Unit 022, Taraba liaison office in Yola North council area at exactly 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. 

In Mustapha’s unit, the APC had 40 votes while the Labour Party polled 23 votes. 

The SGF had earlier expressed hope that the presidential and National Assembly elections would be free, fair, and transparent. 

“I’m expecting it (elections) will be fair, free, peaceful, and credible election and inclusive. That’s my expectation,” Mr Mustapha told reporters in Yola, after casting his votes. 

He commended the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for ensuring credible and peaceful elections.

According to him, the electoral body has been able to improve the electoral system most especially with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine for the election exercise. 

Mustapha said, “The BVAS is a Biomodal machine and as often as possible you can experience few hitches and it would later clear but nothing very major.”

The SGF, however, expressed optimism that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, would win the ongoing race. 

“Every politician would expect his party to win. The election is a contest and at the end of the day somebody would emerge.”

In a related development, Bello, also lost his polling unit to PDP. 

Bello, who voted at the same polling unit 012, Ajiya ward, with Mr Abubakar, saw PDP win the presidential poll. 

Atiku polled 282 votes against Bola Tinubu’s 57 votes.

Peter Obi of the Labour Party scored six votes while Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) polled just one vote.