Kwara: APC Wins 11 Council Wards, KWASIEC Returning Officer Absconds

Results from all 12 council wards in Offa, Kwara State,show that the
newly registered All Progressive Congress (APC), swept 11 of the 12
wards in Saturday'spolls, and the Peoples Democratic Party, just one
ward.
The results were signed by officers of the Kwara State Independent
Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) in the wards, agents of all the
parties, and security agents.
Tension however rose in the area after the Returning Officer strangely
refused to announce the results even when they had been fully
tabulated as early as 5 p.m and no record of violence existed.
Political party agents, security teams and election observers who
gathered at the local government collation centre in Offa could not
find the Returning Officer who is by law empowered to announce the
final results. He later called in to say he would only announce the
result in Ilorin, the state capital, a decision that is contrary
either to convention and the electoral law.
The signed results are as follows:
Balogun Ward: APC - 1129, PDP -504;
Shawo Central: APC -1132, PDP- 435;
Shawo SW : APC- 1171, PDP – 372;
Shawo SE: APC- 1054, PDP -370;
Essa A : APC – 639, PDP -363;
Essa B: APC -644, PDP -381;
Ojomu NW : APC -1314, PDP -446;
Ojomu Central 1: APC -866, PDP -373;
Ojomu Central 2 : APC – 866, PDP- 373;
Ojomu SE : APC -1374, PDP -427;
Ogbodun : APC – 268, PDP – 381; and
Essa C : APC - 972 , PDP – 351.
The tally shows the APC having 11,526 as against PDP's 4,668.
The atmosphere was still tense in Offa and at KWASIEC office in Ilorin
at the time of filing this report, as the youths vowed to reject any
attempt to manipulate the result in favour of the PDP.