Rochas clinches APC Imo West Senatorial District ticket as his son-in-law wins governorship primary

IMO State governor Rochas Okorocha's son-in-law Uche Nwosu has emerged as the All Progressives Congress' (APC) gubernatorial candidate after winning a rescheduled primary election that was boycotted by six of his main rivals yesterday.

Last week, the primaries were conducted but the APC's national working committee (NWC) cancelled them after two different candidates declared themselves the winner. Senator Hope Uzodinma, Mr Nwosu's main challenger, had been declared the winner by the electoral committee send from Abuja but the local party in the state had announced Mr Nwosu as its candidate.

In the face of this division, the APC NWC rescheduled the elections for yesterday which Senator Uzodinma boycotted. Other candidates who refused to partake in the fresh elections included Eze Madumere, Peter Gbujie, Chris Nlemoha, Jude Ejiogu and George Eche despite their names being on the ballot paper.

Announcing the results of the rescheduled primary at the APC Secretariat in Owerri, Ibrahim Agbabiaka, the chairman of the electoral panel, said Mr Nwosu polled a total of 269,524 votes. He provided details of the votes other candidates got including Uzodinma 2,729, Eze Madumere 2,646, Jude Ejiogu 3,656 votes and Chris Nlemoha, 925 votes.

According to Mr Agbabiaka, Peter Gbujie scored 4,855 votes, George Eche got 2,445 votes, Chima Anozie got 3,248 votes and Chuks Ololo got 6,428 votes. He pointed out that the primary held in the 305 Independent National Electoral Commission’s wards across the state.

Mr Agbabiaka said: “With the powers vested in me as the state returning officer, I hereby declare Uche Nwosu as the winner of the 2018 governorship primary in Imo State for the 2019 general election.”

In addition, the panel also announced that Governor Okorocha polled 141,117 votes to defeat Uzodinma and Osita Izunaso, who garnered 1,359 and 24 votes respectively in a senatorial primary. Governor Okorocha, who leaves office in February, is thus the APC's candidate for Imo West Senatorial District.

Professor Nnamdi Obiaraeri was also announced as the winner of Imo North senatorial primary, while Emma Ojinere was declared the winner of Imo East senatorial primary. After the results were announced, Mr Nwosu declared his emergence as a major political milestone in the annals of political history in the state,.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Nwosu, said that he would immediately commence the process of reconciling with all the aspirants who lost out to him in the primary. He said that what was utmost now that the primaries had come and gone was to make sure that APC wins the general elections in the state.

Mr Nwosu added: “To my fellow youths, I am holding this mandate in trust for you. I shall not let you down. Together, we shall move into Government House in 2019.”