PDP retains Abia as Ikpeazu floors Alex Otti

BY ANAYO OKOLI

UMUAHIA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) winner of Abia State governorship election held on April 11 and 25th 2015.

Ikpeazu polled a total of 264, 713 votes to defeat Dr. Alex Otti of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) who polled 180,882 votes.

The result was declared Sunday morning by Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, the State Returning Officer, following the conduct on Saturday, of a supplementary election held in some wards in nine Local Government Areas in the state.

The supplementary election was conducted because the main election held on April 11 was declared inconclusive by INEC.

                                          

                                           Okezie Ikpeazu

At the April 11 main election, Ikpeazu of PDP polled 248, 459 votes while Otti of APGA polled 165, 406 votes.

However, the commission did not declared Ikpeazu winner then because the margin of votes with which he topped the APGA candidate was less than the total number votes outstanding in areas where elections were cancelled or were not held at all.

At the supplementary election held yesterday in some wards and units in nine Local Governments Areas, PDP got 16,254 while APGA got 15,476.

Aggregating the two results, the State returning officer for the election, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba declared and returned Ikpeazu winner.

It would be recalled that Abia governorship contest became very interesting and controversial when the returning officer during collation of the April 11 election, announced the cancellation of results from three Local Government councils of Obingwa, Osisioma and Isiala Ngwa North, citing alleged irregularities.

This action however triggered off fierce protest from the PDP which claimed that the cancelled results were in its stronghold. The returning officer later reversed his decision, an action which led to the conduct of a supplementary election.

But it was a big relief for Abia people that the election was eventually concluded and a winner emerged as the inconclusiveness and the re-run had raised serious tension and apprehension in the state.

Meanwhile, the two parties are running neck to neck in the number of members of State House of Assembly they secured. Though it is not very clear yet, PDP is said to have won 13 House seats while APGA won 11.

Source