- * Says His Election, A Reflection Of The Wishes Of Ebonyi People
By Comfort Idenyi (Ebonyi State Correspondent, in Abakaliki)
Barely 72 hours after the Saturday, March 18 Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday, pronounced the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the winner of the Ebonyi State governorship poll.
Nwifuru's declaration as the governor-elect was based on results collated from the 13 Local Government Area Councils of Ebonyi state. According to the INEC's returning officer in state and Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Professor Charles Igwe, the APC guber candidate polled a total of 199, 131 votes to trounce the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Odii who scored 80, 191 votes.
The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Bernard Odoh, came third with a total of 52, 189 votes. Professor Igwe, while announcing the results, disclosed that a total number of valid votes cast in the election was 342, 554, out of which 349, 941 votes were cast, while 7, 387 votes were rejected.
An elated Hon. Nwifuru who will replace the incumbent governor and Senators-elect for Ebonyi South, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, said in his acceptance speech that the election which produced him as governor-elect was in line with the wishes of the Ebonyi people. He stated that his unalloyed loyalty will be brought to bear on the good of the Ebonyi electorates who gave him the mandate. NNL.
