The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Prof. Anthony Okorie Ani, has been declared winner of February 3 Ebonyi South Senatorial by-election.
Announcing the result on Sunday in Afikpo Local Government Area, the Returning Officer for the election, Eze Uchechukwu, said that Prof Ani polled a total of 46,270 votes.
The runner up, Sir Ifeanyi Eleje of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 3,513 votes.
However, the embattled candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Barr.
Silas Onu, garnered 2,783 votes, while Hon. Linus Okorie of the LP polled 2,710 votes.
Eze said that a total of 56,363 votes were cast, while rejected votes were 695.
Eze said that Prof. Ani, having been certified by the law, is declared the winner and is returned elected.
However, dissatisfaction has trailed the conduct of the election as there was widespread voter apathy.
Speaking with our reporter, a voter in Afikpo Local Government Area, Mr Nathaniel Ogbonnia Ekuma, said that the election was widely rigged to favour APC.
He said: “I am surprised that APC will be this heartless. There’s no way APC would have gotten the outrageous number of votes in an election that was avoided by voters. There was massive rigging by APC. They just awarded votes to themselves so that they will be declared winner.
“In fact, in my polling unit, not more than 20 voters turned up, but the INEC official there wrote that APC won with 210 votes, that is after stuffing the ballot box with thumbprinted ballot papers. This country is in a mess. Nothing will make me to vote again in the next election. Tufiawa, there is no hope in this country!”
Peoplesmind
