Christopher Zakka, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the FCT Council polls in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) on Saturday, has been declared the winner of the polls
Zakka polled a total of 19,302 votes to defeat his closest rival, Murtal Usman, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), who garnered 13,240 votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s Returning Officer, Professor Sanni Saka of the Federal University, Abuja, on Sunday said, “that Christopher Zakka of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the elections and returned elected”.
According to Professor Saka, the total of 687, 274 persons were registered by INEC to vote in AMAC.
He however, said, out of the number, only 35, 010 voters were accredited on Saturday to vote. He added that a total of 33, 764 votes were cast while only 211 votes were invalid.
Meanwhile, the Chiarman-elect and PDP candidate for Saturday’s polls, Mr. Zakka, has attributed his victory to God Almighty and the good people of AMAC who defied the scotching of the sun to queue and vote for him.
Addressing newsmen shortly after his announcement, Zakka prayed God to give him the wisdom to pilot the affairs of AMAC.
“I want to thank the people who voted for me. Because it is not easy to leave whatever you are doing to go and queue to vote. These people went out since 6 o’clock and endured till 8 pm, just to vote for me. I can’t thank them enough”, he said.
The Chairman-elect, while extending an arm of fellowship to other candidates who lost out in the elections, also condemned the killings of 2 voters at Orozo in Karshi ward on Saturday, where ballot boxes were also burnt.
Mr. Zakka won in 10 out of the 12 Council wards of AMAC, leaving only Wuse and Karshi, the country home of the APC candidate, Mr. Usman to the broom party.