Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
The Independent Electoral Commission INEC, has declared the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA, Hon. Anas Shuaibu as the winner of the Taraba State Assembly seat of Karim Lamido 2 Constituency after the rerun election conducted in the area on 16th April, 2023.
Hon. Anas scored a total of 7104 votes out of the 27,435 vote cast to defeat his closest rival, Hon. Bobbo Bendu of PDP who scored 6589 votes.
Announcing the result at Government Day Junior Secondary School Zilani, the collation center, the Returning Officer, Bawuro Adamu Manga of the Federal University Wukari disclosed that the total registered voters at the constituency was 77283, total valid votes cast was 27,333 and 203 votes were rejected at the election.
He said from the 27333 valid votes cast, the candidate of APC pulled 6357 votes, that of the SDP 4981 votes, AA 20 votes, ADC 12, ADP 11, LP 1493, NNPP 249, PRP 213, YPP 269 and ZLP 13 votes respectively.
Addressing press shortly after he was declared winner of at the poll, the member elect, Hon. Anas Shuaibu appreciated God Almighty for the privilege given unto him. He also applauded the efforts put together by his supporters to ensure that they emerged victorious at the poll and assured them that he would continue to work hand in hand with them to ensure that their Victory breads good fruits for the constituency.
He call on the people of the constituency to support him with their prayers and other necessary support so that he would serve them better.
” I want to use this opportunity to call on the people of Karim 2 constituency, especially those that loss at the poll to join hands with me and give me the necessary support so that together we shall lift up our constituency to an enviable position.
“Good enough, the candidate of PDP at the election is my uncle and a former chairman of our LGA. The APC Candidate is currently our member at the Taraba State House of Assembly and that of the SDP is also my brother and uncle who happens to be a former member of this same Constituency. So you see, we are still brothers and relatives joined together by God and we can not run away from each other”. He added.
Hon. Anas further pledged that he would engaged in so many other areas to better the lives of the people of his constituency but he would however, prioritize youth and women empowerment during his reign as the Member representing the constituency.
The energetic young man had cross several rivers to click the seat at the Taraba State Assembly. The election which was at the first instance conducted on the 25th March, 2023 was declared inconclusive as a result of over voting and violence in four polling units, one in each of Bachama, Andeman and Darufai wards of the constituency.
At the rerun election scheduled on the 15th March, 2023, Hon. Anas was in the early morning of the day assaulted alongside his supporters by some Security Officers deployed to secure the rerun election. The assault landed one of his supporters at the hospital.
When inaugurated, Hon. Anas Shuaibu will most likely be the youngest serving Member at the Taraba State House of Assembly and the first House of Assembly Member on the platform of APGA in the whole of State Assemblies in the North East Region of Nigeria.