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APC Retains Imo, As PDP Wins Abia, Taraba Polls
L-R: Lagos Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Mrs Florence Oguntuase, Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Commissioner for Tourism, Mr Disun Holloway And Managing Director, Crystal Cubes Ltd., Ibrahim Haydar, during the Governor’s visit to Apapa Amusement Park Project in Lagos recently.
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has extended a hand of fellowship to his opponents for a better state.
Speaking at a thanksgiving service organised by his supporters in his honour at the Victory Chapel Church in the Government House, Owerri yesterday, Okorocha expressed appreciation to God and to all who contributed to his success story in his four years as governor.
He thanked the people of Imo for their overwhelming support at the polls which according to him led to his victory.
He described his victory as a victory for the people irrespective of political affiliations.
Okorocha urged his opponents to accept the outcome of the election and to join him to make the state better.
He noted that all his campaign promises for the 2011 election had been fulfilled, promising to improve on his services to the state in the next four years.
The governor said he was not in governance to amass wealth but to serve God and humanity, explaining that within four years, he was able to tackle insecurity, kidnapping and armed robbery in the state and created an enabling environment for businesses.
Okorocha said he is in the business of governance to leave a legacy and make a difference.
He described the president-elect, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, as a man of vision and called on Nigerians to support him.
Okorocha was declared winner and returned elected yesterday by the INEC Returning Officer in Imo, Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe.
Okorocha emerged winner after the collation of results of the re-run governorship election in 259 polling units in the state.
INEC had after the April 11 elections declared the Imo election inconclusive because of some cancellations in some wards in 23 local government areas of the state.
The result released by INEC in Owerri showed that Okorocha, the APC candidate, polled a total of 416,996 votes while his closest rival, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP polled 320,705 votes.
Meanwhile, it was celebration galore in Owerri and its environs as APC supporters trouped out to celebrate the victory of the party.
The celebration caused traffic snarls on major roads and streets in Owerri, especially around the Government House Roundabout by Okigwe Road.
There were also displays by tricycle riders while APC faithful carried brooms, the symbol of the party, as part of the celebration.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, the winner of the governorship election in Abia.
Ikpeazu polled 264,713 votes to defeat the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Dr Alex Otti, who polled 180,882 votes at the end of Saturday’s re-run election in nine local government areas.
The governorship race went into the supplementary, when the Returning Officer, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, declared the April 11 poll inconclusive.
Ikpeazu hails from Obingwa Local Government Area in Abia South Senatorial District.
He holds a Ph.D in Chemistry and taught at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology before going into politics.
Meanwhile, his election has prompted spontaneous jubilation in Obingwa and other parts of Ngwa communities.
A native of the area, Mr Matthias Nwogu, said that the jubilation was “natural, considering that this is the first time the area will produce a governor since the state was created in 1997’’.
Similarly, Mr Daruis Ishaku The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has won the Taraba supplementary governorship election held on Saturday.
The Returning Officer, Prof Kyari Mohammed, who announced the result yesterday in Jalingo, said Ishaku scored 369,318 votes to emerge victorious.
He said Sen. Aisha Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came second with 275,984 votes, while Chief David Kente of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), polled 29, 966 votes.
The returning officer said the there were 1,461,645 total registered voters in the state, of which 787,516 were accredited for the election.
Mohammed said that the total valid votes cast were 681,166, while the total votes rejected was 174,131.
It would be recalled that the April 11 governorship election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) due to widespread irregularities.
INEC, on April 25, conducted supplementary election in 218 polling units in 10 council areas of the state.
The APC agent, Alhaji Gambo Umar, however, rejected the result stating that the party would challenge it in court.
On his part, the PDP agent, Mr Rebo Usman, said, “this is a well deserved victory’’.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the just-concluded governorship election in Taraba, Sen. Aisha Alhassan, has rejected the results of the poll as announced by INEC on Sunday.
Addresing a press conference in Jalingo shortly after the announcement of the results, Alhassan described the entire elections process as a “daylight robbery,’’ and said the party would challenge the results in the elections petitions tribunal.
“The combined governorship elections in Taraba were characterised by violence, massive rigging, ballot snatching and abuse of the card readers in substantial parts of the state by the PDP and their allies,” she said.
She contended that results ascribed to Wukari, Donga, Takum, Sardauna, Zing, Yorro, Kurmi and some parts of Ussa, Karim-Lamido, Bali, Ardo-Kola and Lau local government areas were not acceptable as they did not reflect the true results of the election in Taraba.
Alhassan said all the complaints on the irregularities and abuse of the election guidelines were promptly reported to INEC, but that no action was taken.
