Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of the PDP has emerged the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Enugu State.
Announcing the result in Enugu on Sunday, the Returning Officer, Prof. Hilary Edoga, said that Ugwuanyi polled 482,227 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Okey Ezea of the APC, who got 43,839 votes.
Edoga, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia, said that Mr Kanayo Oguakwa of the Peoples for Democratic Change (PDC), secured 4,814 votes, while Mr Chukwuma Ugwu of APGA polled 33 votes.
“I, Prof. Hilary Odo Edoga, hereby declare that Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the April 11 governorship election in Enugu State, and is hereby returned as the winner,’’ Edoga said.
Meanwhile, the PDC governorship candidate, Oguakwa, has congratulated Ugwuanyi on his victory.
In a statement issued shortly after the announcement of the result, Oguakwa described the election as `keenly contested’.
He added that it was devoid of rigging.
“The result of this election portends a clear landslide preference for my brother and colleague, Honourable Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for the governorship seat of Enugu State.
However, the APC governorship candidate, Ezea, said that he would use lawful means to challenge Ugwuanyi’s election.
According to him, the election was marred by violence, harassment of party agents and infliction of physical injuries on APC supporters as well as hijack of ballot boxes.
The Chairman of the PDP Campaign Organisation, Mr Charles Egumgbe, thanked God for the victory of the party in the state.
Egumgbe also commended the people of the state for voting massively for the party.
Born March 20, 1964, Ugwuanyi, who hails from Orba in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, holds bachelor and master’s degrees in Business Administration from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Until his election, he was the member representing Udenu/Igboeze North Federal Constituency and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Marine Transport.