Posted by By VAL OKARA, Owerri on
The long drawn battle for the governorship seat of Imo State was on Sunday laid to rest following the formal declaration of Chief Ikedi Ohakim of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) as the winner of last Saturday re-scheduled governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
The long drawn battle for the governorship seat of Imo State was on Sunday laid to rest following the formal declaration of Chief Ikedi Ohakim of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) as the winner of last Saturday re-scheduled governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
Announcing the results of the election at the INEC head office in Owerri, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Ismaila Abdulkarim, said that Ohakim scored a total of 749, 800 votes to beat all other contestants.
A breakdown of the results as announced showed that controversial Senator Ifeanyi Araraume of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with a total votes of 309,373. Chief Martin Agbaso of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) came third with 59,635 votes, while Hon. Uche Onyeagocha of the Action Congress (AC) clinched the fourth position with 17,305 votes.
Alhaji Abdulkarim also disclosed that Chief Ziggy Azike of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) scored 13,231. Emeka Nwajuba of the Labour Party (LP), 8,852 and Chief Ike C. Ibeh of African Democratic Congress (ADC) polled 7,632 votes.
To guard against the ills that marred the past elections in the state, Alhaji Abdulkarim said that some of the INEC staff at the local government levels were redeployed while others found wanting in the botched April 14 polls were recalled to the INEC head office in Owerri, the state capital.
The electoral commissioner said he ensured that both sensitive and non sensitive election materials got to the LGAs and polling stations on time, noting that the lapses of the last elections were basically in the collection of the result at the L.G.A levels.
In his acceptance speech, the governor elect, Chief Ohakim, regretted the heightened anxiety and grave tension foisted on the state during the struggle for the governorship seat.
Ohakim, flanked by party faithful and political associates, pledged to provide an effective, responsible and responsive government for the people.
"My administration shall be open, transparent and driven by the highest ethical standards," he said, adding that fear of God and love for his people would be his watch word.
The governor-elect expressed gratitude to the Imo electorate for the confidence reposed in him and extended his hand of fellowship to all who contested with him in the election.
According to him, "my government shall be all embracing and all inclusive as no one will be left out. We have all ran the elections like perfect gentlemen and I implore us all to accept the decision of our people as sportsmen and in keeping with the sacred nuances of democracy."