APC Wins Imo North Bye-Election As INEC Keeps Mum On Candidate’s Name

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has been declared winner of the Saturday’s Imo North senatorial bye-election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, no candidate of the APC was mentioned as the winner of the polls.

The returning officer of the election, Mr Hakeem Adigun, Sunday, said the APC candidate scored 36, 811 votes to defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Emmanuel Okewulonu, who secured 31, 903 votes.

The resident electoral commissioner in the state, Prof Francis Ezeonu, told newsmen at INEC headquarters, Owerri, that the decision not to mention any name was due to the conflicting court orders regarding the authentic candidate of APC in the bye-election.

THE WHISTLER reports that a Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri had on Friday (a day before the election) disqualified Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as the candidate of the APC. Similarly, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on the election day disqualified the Appeal Court recognised candidate, Chief Frank Ibezim, from contesting the election.

Gov Hope Uzodinma has however commended Imo North electorate for voting the APC to victory. According to him, the outcome was a pointer that the state was an APC state. He added that the recognized candidate of the party is Chief Frank Ibezim, and not Senator Ararume, adding that the verdict of the appeal court had vindicated the party’s stand.