Gov Umahi wins APC Ebonyi South rescheduled senatorial primary

From Chinedu Nwafor Abakaliki

Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, on Sunday, defeated his younger brother, Chief Austin Umahi and 3 others to emerge the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the rescheduled Senatorial primary election for Ebonyi South Zone.

Governor Umahi scored a total of 250 votes to defeat his closest rivalry, Chief Austin Umahi who scored 10 votes to come second in the primary election.

The others who stood for the Senatorial Primary Election in the zone includes, Princess Ann Ago-Eze who scored Zero votes, Mrs Nwakaego Chukwu who scored 5 votes while Mrs. Ibiam Margaret scored 3 votes.

Announcing the result of the election which took place at the Afikpo North Local Government council Headquarters, the Chairman of the electoral panel, Prof Adebayo Kahinde declared the Ebonyi State Governor winner of the election.

He said: “I, Prof Kayinde by the powers bestowed on me by the National Working Committee of the Party, I declare as follows: total number of voters is 285, accredited votes is 270 votes, votes cast is 275, number of valid votes is 268 while invalid votes is 7 votes.

“I, do hereby declare that, Mr. David Nweze Umahi having scored the highest votes is hereby declared the winner of the primary election for Ebonyi South Senatorial zone”.

The election which was held amidst tight security witnessed the presence of policemen, men of the Nigeria Security, Directorate of State Security Service, DSS and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In his acceptance speech, the Ebonyi State Governor, Governor David Umahi  commended the electoral panel for the peaceful and transparent conduct of the primary.

He also commended the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and assured them that the All Progressives Congress APC would emerge victorious at the forthcoming general election come 2023.

Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki had penultimate week, ordered APC a fresh primary election for Ebonyi South Senatorial district having invalidated the second primary election that produced Umahi on 9th June, 2022.

Meanwhile, the factional senatorial candidate  of the All Progressives Congress for Ebonyi South Zone, Princess Ann Agom-Eze, has said she stayed off the ordered fresh primary of the party in the zone, because there was an appeal for stay on execution on the matter.

This was as she said she could not be part of a ‘premeditated’ exercise, which according to her, would be marred with irregularities.

She stated this in a statement, on Sunday.

According to her, “Waking up this morning I was  going through my messages and I stumbled where someone was talking about primaries at Afikpo.

“I am not going to be part of it because the authentic Ebonyi South Senatorial primaries happened on the 28/5/2022 and it is still subsisting. This is because the judgment delivered at the Federal High court Abakaliki on the 22/7/2022 was not totally in our favour and we had to appeal the part of the judgment that allowed for fresh primaries to accommodate strangers to the process since 26/07/2022. We also filed a motion for stay of execution and injunction pending appeal.

“All the relevant bodies were served; INEC, our party, APC and the 1st Plaintiff since 27/07/2022 and 28/07/2022 until the determination of the Appeal.

“I believe there should be no other primary as the matter is sub-judiced and the rule is that all the parties must stay actions on the matter. We also wrote letters to INEC and our great party urging them to observe the rules of les pendis.

“Am looking forward to the judgment of the Court of Appeal as a law abiding citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and  I am confident that the court will do justice.”END//