Usibe clinches PDP ticket ahead Ogoja/Yala by-election in Cross River

[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]

About 235 delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have elected Hon Mike Usibe as candidate in the by-elections for Ogoja Yala Federal Constituency to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on February 26, this year.

Hon. Usibe is a former commissioner for New Cities Development in Cross River State, as well as, a former chairman of the Yala local government area of the state.

He pooled 184 votes to beat his closest rival Godwin Offiono at the Ogoja Recreation Club in Ogoja.

Declaring Usibe the winner, the chairman of Primary Electoral Panel, Alhaji Hasan Yakubu, said a total of 235 votes were cast with one invalid.

Alhaji Yakubu said “Mike Usibe pooled 184 votes, Godwin Offiono scored 45 votes and Mrs Margaret Odey got 5 votes.

“Based on the power conferred on me as Returning officer, i hereby declare Mike Usibe as the winner of this primary election.

“It is a novelty exercise and in every contest there must be a winner and a loser as God gives power.

“I enjoin other contestants who lost out to take it in good fate,” he stated.

Responding, Mike Usibe said: “I commend all the stakeholders including the delegates, fellow contestants and everyone who played a part in my emergence.

“I personally  call on the contestants  to come and let’s work together to deliver the party on Saturday, February 26 by-election.”

On his part, the state chairman, Venatius Ikem, Esq, expressed profound gratitude to all members of the party who made the primary a huge success.

“It has been an intensive exercise and i promise that the party would bring everybody who took part in the contest to a roundtable and see how they can work to deliver the party.

“I love the fighting spirit we witnessed at the beginning of the exercise. That is the spirit of an opposition party ready to win an election. We promise to deliver our candidate,” he stated.

First runner up in the elections, Godwin Offiono in his remarks congratulated Usibe on his emergence.

On her part, Mrs Margaret Odey said:”I see the exercise as free and fair and pledged to resolve every difference for the interest of all of us.

“We are one PDP family and we look forward to working together to deliver the party.”