BREAKING: Ihedioha Emerges Victorious As Okorocha Fails In His Bid To Foist Son-In-law On Imo People

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha is set to be declared the winner of the 2019 Imo State governorship election, as Imolites fiercely rejected the attempt by Governor Rochas Okorocha to impose on them his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu as his successor.

From the  final results collated on Monday at the Imo State collation center, Owerri by the returning officer, Prof. Francis Otunta, Mr. Ihedioha scored a total of 276,809 votes in results of 27 LGAs announced to finally find himself on the threshold of realizing his dream of leading his Imo People as governor.

The former deputy speaker of the Nigerian House Of Representatives had in 2015 unsucessfully sought to unseat incumbent governor Okorocha of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr. Okorocha was not on the ballot this time but he had thrown everything behind the governorship bid of his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance (AA) – an ambition that put him (Okorocha) at loggerheads with APC leadership and badly divided the party in Imo State.

The APC candidate, Hope Uzodinma, weakened by the crisis that tore his party apart, came a distant fourth with 89,964. He simply went into the contest like a man without kinsmen.

Okorocha’s vision of his son-in-law as the only suitable successor in a state with one of the highest percentage of educated and qualified people in the country did not only balkanize his party, it also elicited the fury of Imolites, who felt insulted.

They came together in solidarity on Social Media, working tiredlessly against what they labelled Okorocha’s “evil plan” to enslave them. It morphed into some kind of movement.

In any case, AA’s Uche Nwosu did surprisingly better than expected, coming second with 194,411 despite the resentment his candidacy generated among Imolites. However, there were allegations of substantial vote buying, using state funds.

APGA’s Ifeanyi Ararume finished, polling 108,702.

The results from Ohaji/Egbema LGA were corrected on the orders of Prof. Otunta after it was discovered that returning officer for that local govt had allegedly falsified figures in favour of Uche Nwosu of AA.

He was later handed over to the police.

Ihedioha’s imminent victory calms a jittery Imo electorate, who had vehemently kicked against Uche Nwosu’s looming governorship but had feared that he may ultimately realize his father-in-law’s plan for him through crooked means.

The PDP’s candidate’s triumph is a typical happy-end political story, having been seen by majority of Imo people as the most qualified among all the contestants and the “The Right Man for this Time” to rebuild the state and drain the swamp created by governor Okorocha’s corrupt and oppressive governance.

It sparked wild jubilations across the state after he emerged  as the candidate that got the highest number of votes.

Mr. Okorocha was propelled to power in 2011 by massive grassroot support, enjoying tremendous goodwill in his first days in office. Unfortunately, he squandered that with his anti-people policies and arrogance. He shocked the populace with his insensitivity and insatiable appetite for land acquisition.

Now, having failed in his bid to instal his son-in-law as governor, Okorocha is now confronted with a new political battle of keeping his Imo-West Senatorial victory, which he was said to have gotten by foul means.

Recall that the returning officer, Prof. francis Ibeawuchi for that election had said on national television that Okorocha was declared winner of the Senate race “under duress”.

Meanwhile, INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu last week said that there will be no certificate of return for any candidate who was declared winner of an election under duress.

Mr. Yakubu did not mention Okorocha by name but it was a veiled reference to his case.

Governor Okorocha fancies himself as the politician of Igbo extraction most qulaified to succeed Mr. Muhammadu Buhari as president in 2023. But should he fail to keep the senate win that he is accused of getting dubiously, he might as well kiss Nigeria’s political arena goodbye.

Be that it may, Imolites, like they did with Okorocha in 2011, have put their trust in Ihedioha and will eagerly look forward to a better life with him as governor.

See below the full Imo gov results as announced by INEC:

Imo governorship election:

Oru East

AA      4,540
APC    24,257
APGA 1,525
PDP    4,806

Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA 

AA-2646

APC-1462
APGA-1456

PDP-30,035

Ngor Okpala LGA

AA-4797
APC- 2310
APGA -2308
PDP -11,502

Ideato South LGA

Ahiazu Mbaise LGA

Ihitte/Uboma LGA

AA – 5,444

APC – 3,160

APGA – 5,692

PDP – 4,235

 Isiala Mbano LGA

Governorship election

AA: 3,383

APC: 1,893

APGA: 17,817

PDP: 3,589

Ehime Mbano LGA

 

Njaba LGA

OBOWO LGA

 

Owerri West LGA

 

Ideato North LGA

A 280

AA 5,599

APC 3,723

APGA 2,152

PDP 3,064

Orlu LGA

A 258

AA 9,659

APC 3,007

APGA 3,421

PDP 5,053

ISU LGA

A 146

AA 7,695

APC 2,423

APGA 2,873

PDP 2,335

Oru West LGA

A 258

AA 5,016

APC 6,435

APGA 5,764

PDP 4,393

Oru East LGA

Action Alliance 4531

APC 24,257

APGA 1,524

PDP 4,806

Nwangele LGA:

AA – 9,924
APGA – 2,067
APC – 1,831
PDP – 3,482

Aboh Mbaise LGA:

AA – 4,296
APGA – 2,520
APC – 3,479
PDP – 64,219

Oguta LGA:

AA – 3,431
APGA – 2,441
APC – 1,644
PDP – 5,663

Nkwere LGA:

AA- 8,205
APGA- 1,104
APC – 2,147
PDP – 1,889

Ikeduru LGA:

AA- 4,006
APC – 3,139
PDP – 14,848

Owerri Municipal:

AA – 2,617
APGA – 1,549
APC – 1,540
PDP – 10,118

ORSU LGA:

AA – 6,203
APC – 3,780
APGA – 3,198
PDP – 2,596

Mbaitoli LGA:

AA – 5,869
APGA – 5,777
APC – 3,704
PDP – 13,358

Onuimo LGA:

AA – 4,173
APGA – 4,577
APC – 1,217
PDP – 2,063

Ohaji Egbema LGA: (Corrected)

Ohaji/Egbema LGA

A 426

AA 16,339

APC 4,585

APGA 4,476

PDP 6,250