Intrigues have continued to trail Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria following the failure of several political heavyweights to clinch their seats.

Among them is the incumbent Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo who lost his bid to represent Gombe North Senatorial District to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sa’idu Alkali. 

According to the results announced at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre in Malam Sidi in Kwami Local Government Area by the Returning Officer, Umar Gurama, Dankwambo polled 88,016 votes against the 152,546 votes polled by his opponent.

In a related development, Senate President, Bukola Saraki lost his bid for re-election to represent Kwara Central Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The result of the election which was announced by the Returning Officer, Prof. Olatunbosun Owoyomi from the University of Ilorin said the candidate of the APC, Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe polled a total of 123,808 votes to defeat Saraki who scored 68,994 votes in the four local governments of the Senatorial District.

This is even as the immediate past Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio of the APC failed in his re-election, losing to a former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Christopher Ekpenyong who reportedly won in all the eight out of the 10 local government areas of the district already released by INEC.

According to the results, the PDP candidate polled 6,603 votes in Etim Ekpo LGA while APC got 2,671. Other results showed that in Abak, Ekpeyong polled 10, 926 against Akpabio’s 9,787; Ika, PDP – 9,257 and APC – 4,152; Ukanafun, PDP – 25,952 and APC – 14,452; Oruk Anam, PDP – 25,123 and APC – 10,534

The PDP candidate polled 13,184 votes while Akpabio polled 6,229 votes in Obot Akara. In Ikono, Ekpenyong polled 7,951 while Akpabio polled 3,083 in Okono while in Ini, Akpabio polled 5,897 votes to Ekpeyong’s 13, 302 votes.

Only the results of the country home of Senator Akpabio, Essien Udim Local Government Area and that of the neigbouring Ikot Ekpene were still pending as at the time of filing this report.

Another major casualty was the Senate Minority Leader, Biodun Olujimi who lost her bid to return to the Senate. She was been defeated by former fellow party man, Dayo Adeyeye of the APC.

Adeyeye, who defected to the APC shortly before the 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State, emerged victorious at the end of the count of votes for Ekiti South Senatorial District.

The Returning Officer for the senatorial district, Laide Lawal said Adeyeye polled 77, 621 to narrowly defeat Mrs. Olujimi who scored 53, 741.

The fate also befell the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Abiola Ajimobi who was defeated by the PDP candidate, Kola Balogun. Balogun ended the contest with a total of 105,720 votes while Ajimobi scored 92,217 votes.

According to the results declared on Monday by the Returning Officer of the district, Wole Akinsola, Ajimobi won in three out of the nine local government areas in the senatorial district.

Ajimobi won in Ibadan Southwest, Ibarapa Central and Ido while Balogun won in Ibadan North, Ibadan Northwest, Ibadan Northeast, Ibadan Southeast, Ibarapa North, Ibarapa East.

The incumbent senator representing the district, Adesoji Akanbi, who contested on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) finished in third place.