The Independent National Electoral Commission has stated that securing the highest number of votes in a state is not all that counts for a winner to emerge in the gubernatorial polls.
The commission explained that apart from securing the highest number of votes, the candidate must have won a minimum of one-quarter of the total number of votes cast in two-thirds of the existing local governments in the state.
The details were posted by INEC on its official website to serve as a guide to the public, as well as the candidates.
In the piece, the Returning Electoral Officer can only announce a winner when the candidate,
“(i) has the majority of votes cast at the election; (and) (ii) has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the LGAs in the state.”
The publication also revealed that, “Where no candidate meets the requirements of the majority of votes cast and the electoral two-thirds, as provided in 41b (i) and (ii) above, a run-off election will be organised by the commission within 21 days in line with the provisions of Section 179 (2) to (5) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.”
Furthermore, INEC mentioned that on occasions where there are canceled votes, its returning officer is not permitted to announce any candidate as the winner if the gap between the candidates in the first and second position is not as much as the number of registered voters in those polling units where votes were canceled.
INEC explained that the provisions of section 26 and 53 of the Electoral Act dictate that a fresh poll will have to be organized in these affected units before any candidate can emerge as the winner.
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