APGA declared Araraume winner, ‘‘having scored the highest number of votes cast by the delegates drawn from the 27 local governments areas of Imo State.’’
Senator Ifeanyichukwu Godwin Araraume has emerged the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Imo State governorship candidate.
APGA Returning Officer, Mrs. Eberechukwu Ejikeme, who announced the result after the primary election that held at Kanu Nwankwo Stadium, Owerri, the state capital, on Monday, said Araraume beat other contestants.
Ejikeme said senator Ararume scored 583 votes, Chief Okey Eze, 61 votes, Chief Frank Nneji got 48 votes, Daniel Kanu, 90 votes, Chief Ike C Ibe, 15 votes, Chief Ikedi Ohakim got 27 votes, Humphrey Anunudu 13 votes while Chief Stanley Amuchie got 14 votes.
Others were Chief Uche Onyeagocha, 43 votes, Chief Steve Nwoga, 27 votes, Dr. Sam Amadi, 11 votes, Chief Nick Opara Ndudu, 14 votes and Ziggy Azike also got 14 votes.
She declared Araraume winner, “having scored the highest number of votes cast by the delegates drawn from the 27 local governments areas of Imo State.”
The returning office expressed gratitude to all stakeholders whom she said contributed in various ways to the success of the electoral process even as she asserted that the exercise was highly hitch-free and transparent.
Meanwhile, other governorship aspirants have protested that no election took place, saying that the purported election was part of Araraume’s desperation for power.
In his reaction, one of the frontline aspirants, Onyeagocha, said Araraume’s plan to declare himself winner, from a kangaroo governorship primary, was because of his rejection by the party faithful in the state .
“His plan to declare himself after the kangaroo exercise was apparently to create more confusion in the party, having realised that he has been rejected by faithful of the party in the state.
“This is the height of desperation, as all the governorship aspirants in the party have unanimously resolved to present a consensus candidate.”
Another aspirant, Ezeh, accused Araraume of trying to ‘‘tear the party apart because of his rabid desperation for power’’.
“ In his rabid desperation for power he wants to destroy the party and re-enact the history for which he is known, a serial governorship aspirant in Imo State.’’
He alleged that no election took place and added that Araraume declared himself winner of the primary with the support of his supporters, thugs and militants at the sports centre in Owerri,.
“He declared himself the governorship candidate of APGA after a shambolic balloting officiated by his rented goons,” he said. which produced a simulated landslide.
“The exercise had no single APGA official from the ward to national in attendance .It had no member of the party in attendance, it had no INEC official in attendance.
