Drama as INEC declares APC winner of Imo North bye-election

Despite not fielding any candidate for Saturday bye-election in Imo North, the Independent National Electoral Commissioner has declared the All Progressives Congress winner of the election.

INEC’s Returning Officer for the poll, Hakeem Adikum, on Sunday morning announced the APC as the winner of the election without returning any candidate.

Adikum said, “I hereby return the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the bye-election held in Imo North on Saturday, December 5.”

The returning officer announced that the APC scored 36,811 votes, while Emmanuel Okewulonu of the People Democratic Party came second with 31,903 votes.

This caused disquiet in the hall, as the supporters Ifeanyi Araraume and Frank Ibezim, the two candidates laying claims to the APC ticket, who were waiting to jubilate outside, felt disappointed.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo, Prof Francis Ezeonu, told journalists that the commission was unable to return a particular candidate from the APC as the winner of the election because of what he called several court orders for and against Araraume and Ibezim of the APC.

Recall that an Abuja Federal High court had on Friday barred Ibezim from contesting elections, having found him guilty of perjury based on the credentials he submitted to INEC and his party.

The same day, a Court of Appeal in Owerri sacked Araraume as the candidate of the APC and declared Ibezim as the authentic candidate of the party.

Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenem ordered INEC to immediately enlist Ibezim’s name as the candidate of the party for the bye-election.

Meanwhile, the details of the election results show the APC won in five out of the six local government areas in the senatorial district while PDP won in one LGA.

While PDP won in Obowo LGA where its candidate hails from; the returning officer said that APC won in Okigwe, Onuimo, Isiala Mbano, Ehime Mbano and Ihitte/Uboma LGAs.