The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Gov. Hope Uzodimma of the APC the winner of the Imo governorship election on Sunday.
Declaring the result of Saturday’s off-circle election, the State Returning Officer, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, said that Uzodimma polled 540,308 votes to defeat 17 other candidates.
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Fasina, who is the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, said that the PDP governorship candidate, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, polled 71,503 votes.
He also said that Sen. Athan Achonu of the Labour Party came in third with 64,081 votes, while Mr. Anthony Ejiogu of the APGA scored 6,392 votes to occupy the fourth position.
In a reaction, the APC State Collation Officer and Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Cyprian Akaolisa, commended INEC and security agencies for the peaceful conduct of the poll.
“It is clear that INEC did their best to ensure a free and fair election; from the distribution of election materials to the conduct of the election, it was peaceful.
“Security agencies did their utmost to ensure that the process was smooth and we had a credible, free, and fair election.
“This victory is a victory for the Imo people.
“It is a victory for the continuation of the development the governor is providing for the people,” Akaolisa said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Also, the State Collation Officer for the Young Progressives Party, Mr. Kingsley Nwahiri, expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the poll.
“The result of the governorship election that was declared today (Sunday) is a result of the vote-buying,” he said.
Nwahiri said that the decision on the next line of action would be taken by the national leadership of the party.
Earlier, Anyanwu called for the cancellation of the election over alleged ballot box-snatching and violence.
He further claimed that security agencies assisted officials of INEC to ensure victory for the APC governor.
However, INEC’s Head of Voter Education, Mrs Emmanuella Opara, dismissed the allegation as unfounded.
Opara told NAN in an interview that the commission had yet to receive any official reports on vote buying, ballot-box snatching or any other malpractice. (NAN)