INEC declares Uzodinma winner in Imo State. By Olawale Lamina

“Hope Odidika Uzodinma having satisfied all the requirements of law and scored majority of the lawful votes, is hereby declared elected,”were the words that heralded the victory of the incubent governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Returning Officer, Abayomi Sunday, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Uzodinma, the All Progressives Congress, APC candidate was declared winner on Sunday morning at the collation center located in Owerri, the state capital.

This followed an off circle election that took place on Saturday in the state.

According to the electoral umpire, the APC candidate pulled 540,308 votes to come tops, relegating his closest contender from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Samuel Anyanwu.

Giving the breakdown of the contest, the INEC Returning Officer said that the APC candidate scored 540,308 votes to defeat his closest challenger of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Samuel Anyanwu, who scored 71,503 votes while the Labour Party candidate, Athan Achonu, came third with 64,081 votes.

According to the analysis of the poll, none of the other 15 candidates had pulled up to 10,000 votes.