Nasarawa By-election Marred by Fraud Allegations Despite APC's Landslide Win

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially reclaimed the Nasarawa North Senatorial District seat, with its candidate, Halilu Dangadi Envwulanza, declared the winner of the Saturday by-election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Professor Aminu Ali, the Returning Officer, announced the final results at the Collation Centre in the College of Education, Akwanga, after compiling votes from Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon, and Wamba Local Government Areas.

Envwulanza secured a decisive victory, polling 45,362 votes. His closest challenger, Labour Party (LP) candidate Labaran Maku, garnered 12,931 votes. Emmanuel David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came in third with 11,570 votes, while ADC candidate Alaku Mohammed Steve received 1,496 votes, and NNPP’s John Wall Araneshiri obtained 102 votes. Professor Ali formally declared Envwulanza as the winner, having satisfied the requirements of the law.

However, the electoral exercise was heavily marred by allegations of widespread irregularities from the Labour Party. Labaran Maku, the LP senatorial candidate and former Information Minister, vehemently called on INEC to cancel the bye-election, labeling the process a “complete sham.” Speaking to journalists in Wakama, Nassarawa Eggon LGA, Maku accused electoral officials of failing to adhere to electoral laws and alleged that the state government had hijacked the process, with INEC merely providing a platform for vote allocation. He stated that after consulting with his party, the LP decided to pull out of the election and demand its cancellation for a free and fair re-run.

Maku detailed specific instances of alleged malpractice, claiming that voting did not occur in Nassarawa Eggon/Alizaga, Umme Ward, and Alushi wards in Nassarawa Eggon LGA, where thumb printing reportedly replaced accreditation. He also cited figure manipulation in polling units such as Agyaga, Ningo-Bohar, and Gudi in Akwanga LGA, and Mama in Wamba LGA. Furthermore, Maku alleged deliberate Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) malfunctions in his stronghold of Akun Area Administrative Council, which he claimed disenfranchised voters. He reported that BVAs either did not work or contained data that lasted for only an hour in some wards, forcing voters in Sabon Wakama and Angwan Tsoko to provide their own data, while others were turned away due to failed face recognition.

The LP’s returning officer, Dr. Benjamin Ango, alongside collation agents Alidzi Godwin, Jacob Odobi, and Stephen Habila, from Nassarawa Eggon, Akwanga, and Wamba LGAs respectively, corroborated Maku’s claims, stating they had evidence of thumb printing and non-usage of BVAS machines. Dr. Ango later led LP agents in a walkout at the collation centre in Akwanga shortly after results from the three LGAs were compiled, with party officials at the venue faulting the collation process. Maku urged the federal government to investigate the election, describing it as a “national embarrassment.”

The by-election, conducted on June 20, 2026, was necessitated by the death of two-term Senator Godiya Akwashiki in December 2025. Envwulanza, a former Secretary of the National Judicial Council and an indigene of Nasarawa Eggon, had previously contested the same seat in 2023, losing to the late Akwashiki. After casting his ballot, Envwulanza praised the voter turnout as “very encouraging” and confirmed he had campaigned across all 35 wards of the district.

Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, who voted in Gudi, Akwanga LGA, commended INEC for the smooth conduct of the poll, viewing it as an opportunity for the people of Nasarawa North to express gratitude to the APC. Despite the Labour Party's strong objections and accusations of irregularities, INEC described the collation process as “orderly and transparent,” acknowledging only minor technical hitches with BVAS machines that were promptly resolved. Envwulanza is now set to proceed to the National Assembly to complete the remainder of Akwashiki’s tenure.