The Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission, NASIEC, has officially presented Certificates of Return to the 13 newly elected chairmen of local government areas in Nasarawa State.

The ceremony, held at NASIEC headquarters on Monday, marked the culmination of the local government polls, in which the All Progressives Congress, APC claimed all 13 chairmanship positions.

During the ceremony, NASIEC Chairman, Ayuba Usman Wandai described the election as a transparent and credible process that reflected the will of the people.

“This presentation of Certificates of Return represents the final statutory responsibility of NASIEC in the electoral process, as mandated by law, and we carry it out with confidence in the credibility of the process and the legitimacy of the results, Wandai said.

The APC dominated the elections, winning 140 out of 147 councillorship positions across the wards. The Social Democratic Party, SDP secured five councillorship seats while the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP won two.

Wandai expressed gratitude to all stakeholders, including security agencies, traditional leaders, the Inter-Party Advisory Council, and the media, for their contributions to the peaceful and orderly conduct of the election.

He also acknowledged the support from Governor Abdullahi Sule and the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, which he said was instrumental in ensuring the success of the polls.

“Special thanks go to His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, for his continuous support and respect for NASIECs independence,” Wandai noted, also commending NASIEC’s staff for their dedication.

With a clear majority win, APCs chairmanship and councillorship candidates took key areas, including Lafia, Doma, Keana, Awe, Obi, Keffi, Kokona, Akwanga, Toto, Karu, Wamba, Nasarawa, and Nasarawa-Eggon.

Vote counts from the various local government areas showed significant turnout, with Lafia leading with 217,573 votes, followed by Karu with 146,450 votes.

Wandai urged any aggrieved parties to seek redress through proper legal channels.