Labour Party has continued to make more gains in Anambra state as its candidate, Afam Victor Ogene, has been declared the winner of the supplementary election held in Ogbaru Federal constituency on Saturday
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that Ogene, a former editor of The Source magazine, and former House of Representatives member defeated the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chukwuma Onyema and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Arinze Awogu.
Recall that the election had been declared inconclusive on February 25, as a result of sundry issues, including violence.
Meanwhile, from the results of votes already collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ogene had been in the lead with over 1,000 votes.
In any case, from votes cast during the supplementary election on Saturday, the PDP candidate scored the highest number of votes while the APGA candidate followed with the LP candidate coming third.
However, when the results were merged with the February 25 results, the LP candidate won the contest.
Declaring the results at Atani, the headquarters of Ogbaru local government area, the Returning Officer for the election, Professor Kingsley Ubaorji of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, said Ogene of the Labour Party polled 10,851 votes of the total votes cast, followed by the candidate of the PDP who polled 10,619 votes, and that is APGA came third with 10,155 votes.
By and large, other candidates scored as follows; Nkechi Ismade of APC scored 303 votes, Nwachukwu Victor of ADC scored 39 votes, Obunne Celestine of NNPP scored 124 votes and Nwadialor C of SDP scored 27.
According to the Returning Officer, “that Hon Afam Ogene of the Labour Party, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes cast is declared winner of the election.
WITHIN NIGERIA investigations show that the election had been a steep contest, especially as vested interests backing the various candidates worked hard to outdo each other.
While the State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, backed his APGA candidate, Senator Stella Oduah, an incumbent senator supported the PDP candidate while the presidential candidate of the Labour Party and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, solidly supported Ogene.
Earlier in the week, Gov. Soludo has declared that the Ogbaru supplementary election would be a do or die affair.