The immediate past Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, chief Uche Ogah, has merged a factional governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress in Abia State.
He emerged from the primary election conducted by a faction of the APC led by Chief Acho Obiama.
Ogah, polled a total of 141,952 votes to beat his closet rival Prince Paul Ikonne who polled 27,054 votes.
Other results declared for the election were Emeka Atuma, who scored 7,429 votes, Ikechi Emenike 9,446 who polled votes, Obinna Oriaku 5,553 votes, and Alex Otti and Daniel Eke, got 2,414 and 1,953 respectively.
The state returning Officer, Barr. Perfect Okorie, declared Ogah, the winner of the primary election.
He stated that the total number of votes cast was 195,801 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Ogah thanked the leaders and members of the party in the state, for working hard to conduct the primary election.
He said he obeyed the directive of the National Working Committee of the party for direct primaries to be conducted in Abia state.
Ogah assured his supporters that he will win the governorship election in the state in 2023 with their support and goodwill.
While fielding questions from journalists, Ogah said the question of who is the authentic flag bearer of the party was clear, adding he emerged through a process approved by the NWC of the party.
He said, “I’m sure you saw the letter from the National Secretariat of our party and the directive on the conduct of the primaries in Abia state.
“If our national leadership says direct primaries; which is intended to test the popularity of candidates and not just picking people to cast votes and write results.
“You journalist know what to advise the people and the one to tell them to believe. The national says we should do direct primaries and what we just had is a direct primary election.
“As a loyal party man, I obeyed the rules set by the national leadership of our party which says we should do direct primaries. For those who did indirect primaries that’s their business, for me, I have done what our national leadership said we should do.”
The PUNCH reports that the Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ikechi Emenike, had won the governorship ticket of the party in a primary election conducted on Thursday.
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