From Wole Ayodele in Jalingo
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Darius Ishaku as winner of last Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Taraba state.
Ishaku, who is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defeated the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Danladi, among others.
Declaring the result in the early hours of Tuesday, the returning officer, Prof Shehu Adamu Iya of the Federal University of Technology, Yola, said Ishaku polled 520, 433 votes to defeat his closest rival, Abubakar Danladi who polled 362, 735 votes.
Former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan of the United Democratic Party (UDP) polled 16, 289 to come a distant third.
PDP won twelve out of the sixteen local government areas in the state including Wukari, Zing, Yorro, Lau, Ardo-Kola, Bali , Gashaka and Kurmi as well as Sardauna, Takum, Ussa and Donga.
APC however defeated PDP in Gassol, Jalingo, Ibi and Karim-Lamido local government areas of the state.
Fielding questions from newsmen moments after the declaration, Ishaku frowned at the delay in the announcement of the results by INEC which according to him triggered serious tension in the state and urged INEC to use the experience garnered in the election to improve on subsequent elections.
He equally called on his opponents to join hands with him to build and move the state forward just as he charged traditional rulers to ensure peace reign in their domains.
