Augie wins court-ordered APC rerun for Argungu/Augie constituency

Umar Hassan Augie has won the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the Argungu/Augie federal constituency in Kebbi State, after a fresh primary ordered by a Federal High Court.

Augie polled 33,013 votes to defeat his only challenger, Samir Salihu Felande, who got 1,319 votes, according to results announced by the returning officer, Shehu Kawu Damina.

The exercise held on Saturday across the constituency's 21 wards. Damina, who chaired the APC National Committee for the primary and represented the party's national headquarters, said 44,784 delegates were registered and 34,332 votes were cast.

He then declared Augie the party's candidate for the House of Representatives seat.

Why the primary was rerun

The rerun followed a judgment by the Federal High Court in Birnin Kebbi last week, which cancelled the earlier primary and directed the party to conduct a new one within two weeks.

The APC said Saturday's exercise was held to comply with that court order.

For voters in Argungu and Augie, the decision settles, at least for now, who carries the party's flag into the House of Representatives race. Party primaries often decide the real contest in strongholds, so the choice of candidate matters to residents weighing who will speak for them in Abuja.

The figures announced also point to a large gap between the two camps, with Augie taking the vast majority of the votes cast.

It was not immediately clear from the announcements whether Felande or any other party member plans to challenge the outcome in court.

What happens next

Augie is now expected to fly the APC flag in the general election for the constituency. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) runs the general election, and the final say on the seat will rest with voters.

Until then, the court-ordered rerun closes one chapter of a party dispute that had already gone to a judge in Birnin Kebbi.