INEC reverses self, declares Abaribe winner of Abia South NASS election

.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday declared Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, the winner of Saturday, Feb. 25 Senatorial elections in Abia South.

The Returning Officer for Abia South National Assembly elections, Prof. Georgina Ugwuanyi, announced this before party agents at the collation centre in Aba.

Ugwuanyi said that she had to return to declare the results of the election because she was asked by the INEC office in Abuja to announce winners in the election.

Earlier, Ugwuanyi had told party agents that a substantial number of polling units totalling about 108 had irregularities requiring a reschedule of the Abia South election.

She said that Abaribe, who is the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, got the highest number in the election having scored 49, 903 votes.

She further announced that LP’s Chinedu Onyeizu scored 43,903, while Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu scored 28,422 votes and declared Abaribe the winner of the senatorial election.

The returning officer also announced the results of the Aba South and North Federal Constituency results, where the LP’s Emeka Nnamani polled 35,502 to clinch the seat.

She said that Alex Ikwecheghi of APGA polled 22,465 votes, while the incumbent Representative, Chimaobi Ebisike of the PDP scored 13,388 votes.

Ugwuanyi, therefore, declared Nnamani the winner of the House of Representatives election.