BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – After about four days of intrigues and great suspense, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate, Peter Mbah, as winner of the March 18 governorship election in Enugu State.
The results announced on Wednesday night by the electoral umpire showed that Mbah amassed a total of 160,895 votes to beat his closest opponent, and Labour Party (LP) flag bearer, Chijioke Edeoga whose scores stood at 157,552 votes.
The Returning Officer, Professor Maduebibisi Ofo-Iwe, who declared the results in the Enugu State capital stated thus; “That Mbah Peter Ndubuisi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”
However, before the final declaration of the results by Prof Ofo-Iwe, who is the Vice Chancellor of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, the Labour Party’s agent refused to endorsed the results presented alleging that the figures were flawed.
Recalled that INEC had to suspend the results’ collation in Enugu and Abia states with its key officials summoned to the Abuja headquarters for a review of the processes following complaints and petitions written by some of the political parties.
With the Abia and Enugu gubernatorial elections out of the way as promised by INEC earlier on Wednesday, only Kebbi and Adamawa states are now outstanding among the 28 states where governorship and State Assembly polls held on Saturday, March 18, 2023
The elections in both states were declared inconclusive by the Commission with no date fix for the likely rerun to determine the winners of the seats.
