Donatus Mathew, the candidate of the Labour Party, has won the House of Representatives seat for Kaura Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, as declared by the Returning Officer, Prof. Elijah Ella, on Sunday. According to the results, Mathew polled a total of 10,508 votes, defeating the incumbent member and candidate of the PDP, Mr. Gideon Lucas Gwani, who came second with 10,297 votes. The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Benjamin Gugong, trailed with 9,919 votes, while the New Nigerian People’s Party candidate secured 5,354 votes to come third and fourth, respectively.
Donatus Mathew expressed his gratitude to the electorate for the confidence reposed in him to represent them at the Green Chamber, and solicited their support and cooperation. He pledged to carry everyone along and work towards achieving success.
In his reaction, the incumbent member and Minority Whip in the House of Representatives, Gideon Gwani, congratulated the member-elect and wished him well. He urged his supporters to remain calm and accept the will of the electorate. Gwani noted that God gives and takes power to and from whomever he pleases at the appropriate time.
Gideon Gwani has been in the House of Representatives since 2003 and has served as the Minority Whip. His defeat in the elections is a significant event in the politics of Kaduna State and Nigeria.
The election results have generated mixed reactions from the public, with some expressing their satisfaction with the outcome, while others criticized the electoral process. INEC has been urged to take steps to ensure that future elections are free, fair, and credible. The peaceful conduct of the elections and the acceptance of the results by the candidates and their supporters are vital for the growth and stability of democracy in Nigeria.
