The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared a former National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, Victor Umeh, winner of the Anambra Central Senatorial election rerun.
Umeh swept to victory in Saturday’s poll by a landslide, securing 64,879 votes. None of the 13 other contestants in the election got up to a thousand votes.
Consequently, INEC returned him as the winner of the rerun election on Sunday morning.
See full result as below:
1. Oyeh Mercy Uche – A – 35
2. Hon. Oby Kate Okafor – ACD – 33
3. Chief Anayo A. Nweke – ADC – 57
4. Sen. Chris Ngige – APC – 975
5. Chief Sir Victor Umeh – APGA – 64,879
6. Christopher A. Chukwendu – GPN – 48
7. Okafor Ikechukwu – ID – 14
8. Chief Denis Oguguo – KOWA -12
9. Kingsley Chukwuma Nwofor – LP – 95
10. Ekweozo C. Nkem – MPPP – 111
11. Ubakamma J. Ikenna – NCP – 72
12. Rev. Charles O. Ekwueme – PDC – 5
13. Igwilo Michael C. – PPA – 116
14. Ikechukwu F. Obiekwe – UPP – 55
Although the name of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige’s name was on the ballot paper, he had stressed before the election that he wasn’t a candidate.
Meanwhile, Labour Minister, Chris Ngige, who was listed as the All Progressives Congress’ candidate for the election has said he was not participating in it. This effectively means the APC fielded no candidate for the election.
In a statement made available to the journalists, Ngige said he wrote a letter to his party on January 11, 2016 of withdrawing from the race slated for March that year.
This, he explained, was in accordance with the provisions of sections 33 and 35 of the Electoral Act 2010 for “personal and Family reasons.”
The APC accepted his decision and wrote to INEC for a substitution and went ahead with its primary that was closely monitored by the electoral body.
“The primary monitored by INEC was organised at Awka and the name of a new candidate that emerged was promptly submitted, only for INEC to reject the new candidate on 29 January,” Ngige said.
He added, “My party, the APC and INEC are in the Court of Appeal Abuja over this obnoxious & illegal action of INEC with hearing on the matter fixed for 23rd of January which is still within the armbit of 90days ordered by court, only for the INEC to fix an ‘election’ for 13th in order to give an unfair advantage to the APGA candidate to go ‘unopposed’.
“I have met with INEC on this issue and I’m using this forum to inform the general public that I’m not part of the re-run.”
