TheCable

The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Babakaka Garbai of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the bye-election for Borno central senatorial district.

Announcing the result in Maiduguri on Sunday, Mohammed Fannami, INEC’s returning officer, said Garbai scored 120, 639 votes against 32,347 votes scored by Kaka Bolori of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He added that Bukar Muhammed of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) had 324 votes, while Babakura Modu of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had 660 votes.

According to Fannami, the total number of registered voters was 908, 114, while the total number of accredited voters was 174, 329.

Garbai described his victory as an “act of God”, promising not to disappoint his people.

“The people have spoken; the victory is a clear testimony of the fact that the people have confidence in my ability to deliver,” he said.

“It is also an indication that the people have confidence in the government of Borno, because the government has been working for them.

“So any candidate presented by the APC in the state will always have the peoples support. By God grace we are going to work for the people.

“I intend to pursue an agenda to rehabilitate my people who are badly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

“Borno Central is the major population area in the state.

“Aside from Maiduguri, all the other population centres in the zone have been displaced by Boko Haram and my major task is to work towards rehabilitating them.”

The election became necessary after the death of Ahmed Zanna, who represented the senatorial district in the 7th assembly, and was re-lected but died exactly a month to the inauguration of the 8th  assembly.