The controversial collations of governorship election results in Enugu State came to an interesting end om Wednesday night, with Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clinched victory in Enugu.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mbah winner of the election after he scored 160,895 votes to trump his PDP rival, Chijioke Edeoga, who closely trailed with 157,552 votes.
At the Enugu collation centre, announcing the final results, four days after the election was suspended, returning officer, Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, said Mbah polled a total of 160,895 votes to defeat Edeoga of the LP, who had 157,552 votes.
Iwe also announced that the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Frank Nweke, polled 17,983 votes to come a distant third, while candidate of APC scored 14,575 votes.
“Having satisfied the requirements of the law, Mbah of the PDP is hereby declared winner of the election and returned elected,” the returning officer said.
INEC had suspended the collation of results for the governorship election in the state to allow it review results from two outstanding local government areas of Nsukka and Nkanu East.
Since Monday, supporters of the two leading candidates in the governorship race had been protesting outside the headquarters of the INEC. While those of PDP called on INEC to declare Mbah winner of the election, supporters of the LP candidate alleged irregularities in the polls and insisted that INEC must look at the results in their BIVAS and follow what the Electoral Act said.
The disagreements lasted till Wednesday night when a winner emerged after results from the two council areas were reconciled.
Following his declaration as winner of the governorship election, Otti told the people of Abia State that the siege was over and that he was in the state to serve the people.
Gideon Arinze in Enugu
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