By Orji Sampson
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday declared Alex Otti, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), as the winner of the March 18 gubernatorial election in Abia State.
The electoral body had on Monday, suspended the collation of the governorship election results, after its officials were attacked in the Obingwa Local Government Area of the state by thugs.
While controversy raged over the results of the Obingwa Local Government Area, the electoral commission summoned the State Returning Officer, Professor Nnenna Oti, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), and the State Administrative Secretary, Clement Oha, to its headquarters in Abuja for review of the Obingwa LGA results.
However, declaring the Obingwa results at exactly 4:45 pm on Wednesday, Collation officer in the LGA, said the Labour Party polled, 3776 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored, 9,962 votes and that the All Progressives Congress (APC), secured 721 votes.
Declaring the results of the governorship election in entire 17 LGAs, Professor Oti declared that the candidate of LP, Alex Otti, polled 175,467 votes to defeat his closest rival and candidate of the PDP, Okey Ahiwe, who scored 88,529 votes
Candidate of the Young Democratic Party (YPP), Enyinnaya Nwafor, came a distant third with 28,972 votes
While Otti won in 10 LGAs, the PDP won 6 and the candidate of the YPP, Nwafor, clinched one LGA.
The 10 council areas where the LP candidate won include Abia North, Abia South, Arochukwu, Bende, Ikwuano, Isuikwuato, Ohafia, Umuahia North, Umuahia South and Umunneochi.
The PDP candidate, on his part, won in Isiala-Ngwa South, Ukwa East, Ukwa West, Ugwunagbo, Isiala-Ngwa North, and Obingwa.
On his part, the YPP candidate, Nwafor, only won in Osisoma LGA, where he hails from.
