The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared Smart Adeyemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the Kogi West senatorial district election.
He defeated Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Announcing the result on Saturday night at the collation centre in Kogi, the Returning Officer of the election, Professor Olajide Lawal, announced that Mr Adeyemi polled a total of 88,373 votes to beat Mr Melaye who scored 62,133 votes.
Rufus Aiyenigba of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, came third with 659 votes, while John Olabode and Adeyemi Taiwo of the African Democratic Congress, ADC and Nigeria Elements Progressive Party, NEPP, scored 262 and 119 votes respectively.
This came after the supplementary poll conducted by INEC following the November 16 rerun election which failed to produce a winner.
It was said to have been marred by violence and other alleged electoral malpractices.
Although the results of the poll favoured Senator Adeyemi who polled 80,118 votes as against Senator Melaye’s 59,548 votes, the returning officer had said that he was constrained by law to declare a winner.
He explained that the margin of 20,570 votes between the two candidates was lower than the number of cancelled votes in 53 polling units of the 20 registration.
Following the victory of the APC candidate in the rerun poll and upon receiving the certificate of return, Senator Adeyemi will replace Senator Melaye as the lawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district in the National Assembly.
INEC’s decision to conduct a fresh election in the senatorial district was in line with the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by Senator Melaye challenging the nullification of his victory on February 23 during the general elections.