The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Imo State.
The electoral umpire made thr declaration on Sunday in Owerri.
The State Returning Officer for the election, Prof Abayomi Fasina, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, said the governor got 540,308 votes to defeat other candidates.
According to INEC, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Samuel Anyanwu, came a distant second with 71,503 votes, while the Labour Party candidate, Athan Achonu, came third with 64,081 votes
Governor Uzodimma emerged victorious in 27 local government areas in the just-concluded election, with the collation completed at 08:30 am on Sunday.
The process of collation commenced around 02:30 am on Sunday in Owerri, with the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof Abayomi Fashina, serving as the state Returning Officer for INEC in the election.
The APC, represented by Uzodimma, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with Samuel Anyanwu, and the Labour Party’s Achonu Nneji, were the primary contenders among the 18 parties fielding candidates in the election.
According to INEC, a total of 2,419,922 registered voters in the state for the poll, with 2,318,919 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected.
At the culmination of the collation at 08:30 am on Sunday, Fashina announced that the center would take an hour-long break and reconvene for the announcement of the winner.