The flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, is gradually heaving a sigh of relief from the keenly contested governorship race in the state.
The contest was between him on the one hand and the the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, and that of the Labour Party’s Chief Great Ogboru on the other.
Okowa won in 15 out of the 18 local government areas whose results had been announced as at press time on Sunday.
The state has 25 local government areas.
PDP garnered huge votes in Ika North-East Local Government Area, where Okowa hails from, and Oshimili South council area that harbours Asaba, the state capital.
Protesters however trooped to the street leading to the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Asaba, rejecting the results that emanated from Sapele Local Government.
The protesters alleged that the election in the council area was rigged and the will of the good people of the council perverted.
The protesters, who carried placards of different headings, called for the cancellation of the results.
The younger brother of the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Tunner Ogboru, also his brother’s party agent at the INEC collation centre, staged a one-man protest.
He rejected the results collated from Oshimili South, where Okowa scored 47,938 votes, and Ika North-East (72,612), wondering why the numbers of those that voted exceeded those that collected the Permanent Voter Cards there.
According to him, the Collation Officers of the two council areas hurriedly colluded with the the PDP and INEC to perpetrate the fraud.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Aniedi Ikiowak, however, overruled him.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP in the state and also the PDP agent at the collation point, Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, described Okowa’s early victory as ‘expected”.
Solomon urged Ogboru and Emerhor to swiftly concede defeat and congratulate Okowa, assuring them that his principal will be a governor for all Deltans.
THE RESULTS SO FAR RELEASED:
Ethiope West LGA PDP – 31,890 LP – 1,675 APC – 2,329
Sapele 13,837 7,848 3,627
Oshimili South 47,938 1,218 1,253
Bomadi 51,974 748 594
Isoko North 44,209 3,661 4,502
Oshimili North 19,368 505 978
Isoko South 30,355 4,023 10,594
Patani 16,097 684 771
Ika North-East 72,612 66 340
Okpe 12,165 7,728 3,706
Udu 6,097 15,857 3,369
Ethiope West 31,809 1,675 2,329
Sapele 13,837 7,848 3,627
Oshimili South 47,938 1,218 1,253
Bomadi 51,974 748 594
Isoko North 44,209 3,661 4,502
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