Again Rochas Okorocha, Ikpeazu Win Imo & Abia Governorship

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has been declared the winner of the Imo State Governorship election after a re-run on Saturday. He won in 20 out of the 23 LGAs in Imo; polling 31,326 votes. His total vote tally stood at 416,996 votes out of the total 806,764 votes cast in the election.

Trailing Rochas was Ihedioha of the PDP who polled 320,705 votes and Emmanuel Ihenacho of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) who came a distant third with 28,434 votes.



There was a festive mood at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo soon after the results were announced.

In neighbouring Abia State, the decision of the electoral officers to allow alleged concocted figures to stand in Osisioma, Obingwa and Isiala-ngwa from the April 11 vote, handed Dr Okezie Ikpeazu of
the PDP victory. The INEC collation officer, Prof Ozumba, had announced the cancellation of votes from the three LGAs on April 12 owing to widespread irregularities, but curiously reversed himself soon after the Abia State Governor, T.A Orji, stormed the collation center alongside other PDP bigwigs.

Some swear that the electoral officers in Abia State had been financially induced to reverse the decision and one source suggested that President Jonathan had placed a phone call through to Ozumba to reverse himself as well.

Ozumba, while announcing the result at about 4:54am Sunday, April 26 after close of proceedings from the rerun, said Mr. Ikpeazu polled a total of 264,713 votes to beat his closest challenger Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, who garnered 180, 882 votes.

Mr. Otti is a former Managing Director of Diamond Bank and there are suggestions he would contest the result at the election petition tribunal.