The Chairman Governing council University of Nigeria Nsukka Chief Ikechi Emenike has won the Abia State governorship primary election of the APC.
He polled a total of 672 votes to defeat his closest rivals, Emenike Atuma who got 150.
This is even as the former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uche Ogah, the Director General National Agricultural Land Development Authority, Paul Ikonne and other aspirants have rejected the outcome of the election, saying the national leadership of the party approved a direct mode of primary and not indirect.
Speaking with ABN TV on Thursday, Ogah listed Benue, Osun and Abia as states approved for direct primary for governorship.
He said the primary election which produced Ikechi Emenike is invalid and will not be accepted.
According to Ogah, the direct primary election approved by APC will hold as scheduled.
At the primary that produced Chief Ikechi Emenike, Ogah got 6, Chief Dan Okeke 16, Dr Alex Otti 14, Obinna Oriaku 12 and Paul Ikonne 22.
Chief Emenike was declared winner by the Chairman Guber committee Tony Obiefuna.
In his acceptance speech, he said, “There are alot of external forces that are against the outcome of today’s success and this external forces are responsible for the decay and losing we have in Abia state our mission is simple and straight forward, first to rescue Abia State then to develop this State, I can assure you nothing will deter us because you know, they can ancor on powers and principalities but we trust in the Almighty God and it’s that God that has brought us this far.
“I assure our party faithful we will not let them down, this victory we must win. They said we cannot win let’s go and prove to them that we can and that it’s almighty God through us Abia will be saved.”
Earlier, former CEO of the defunct Diamond Bank, Dr. Alex Otti had withdrawn from the primary election, citing imposition of candidates.
About 920 were accredited to participate in the election.
