INEC reverses self, declares PDP winner of Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Imo State, has declared Jerry Alagboso of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the Orlu/Orsu/Oru East federal constituency election. The electoral body had earlier declared the election inconclusive, but the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu later declared Mr Alagboso winner.

Giving reasons for the reversal, Ezeonu said that the Returning Officer did not apply the electoral guidelines properly in declaring the election inconclusive. According to Ezeonu, the electoral guidelines had stipulated that areas where card readers were not deployed, either as a result of violence or compromise, such areas should have zero returns. He said that some of the areas declared inconclusive actually had results, while others didn’t.

This, he said, necessitated INEC to have a rethink and apply the electoral law, as stipulated.

In announcing the result, the Returning Officer, Prof. Innocent Madufor, said that Alagboso polled 21273 to defeat the AA candidate, Dr Ikenna Ihezuo, who polled 2,171 votes and APC’s Edwin Iheanacho, with 20061 votes.

Immediately the results were announced, there was an uproar as the three parties accused INEC of bias. They are protesting the results and have vowed to go to court.