LP candidate, Ogene wins Anambra Reps seat after supplementary poll

The Labour Party (LP) candidate for the Ogbaru Federal Constituency election, Afam Victor Ogene, has been declared the winner of the supplementary election held on Saturday.

Ogene, a former editor of The Source magazine, and former House of Representatives member defeated the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chukwuma Onyema and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Arinze Awogu.

The election had been declared inconclusive on February 25, as a result of sundry issues, including violence.

Meanwhile, from the results of votes already collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ogene had been in the lead with over 1,000 votes.

However, from votes cast during the supplementary election on Saturday, the PDP candidate scored the highest number of votes while the APGA candidate followed, with the LP candidate coming third.

When the results were merged with the February 25 results, the LP candidate carried the day.

The Returning Officer for the election, Professor Kingsley Ubaorji of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, who announced the result at Atani, the headquarters of Ogbaru LGA, said Ogene of the Labour Party polled 10,851 votes of the total votes cast, followed by the candidate of the PDP who polled 10,619 votes, and that is APGA came third with 10,155 votes.

Other candidates scored as follows; Nkechi Ismade of APC scored 303 votes, Nwachukwu Victor of ADC scored 39 votes, Obunne Celestine of NNPP scored 124 votes and Nwadialor C of SDP scored 27.

The RO said, “That Hon Afam Ogene of the Labour Party, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes cast is declared winner of the election.

The election had been a steep contest, especially as vested interests backing the various candidates worked hard to outdo each other.

While the State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, backed his APGA candidate, Senator Stella Oduah, an incumbent senator supported the PDP candidate while the presidential candidate of the Labour Party and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, solidly supported Ogene