Newscenter Media News Former Ebonyi State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Silas Onu, has emerged winner of the party’s primary bye-election ahead of the Ebonyi South Senatorial zone election on Feb. 3.
The election, held on Monday at the zonal party secretariat at Afikpo in Afikpo North Local Government Area, was to fill the seat vacated by Dave Umahi, former Senate Majority Leader, who was appointed Minister of Works by President Bola Tinubu.
Onu polled a total of 143 votes to defeat his only opponent, Sen. Amah Nnachi, who did not get any vote in the election.
The PDP Primary bye-election committee led by Mr Lekan Rotimi judged the election as credible, free and fair.
Rotimi, who declared the result after the voting, noted that the exercise complied with the party’s laid down guidelines and extant electoral laws.
“Chief Silas Onu having complied with the relevant electoral law and the PDP primary election guideline and having won the majority lawful votes is hereby declared the winner and returned elected as the PDP candidate for the Ebonyi South Senatorial district.
“A total of 144 delegates were accredited to vote in the election, with one invalid vote recorded,” he said.
Rotimi said that relevant security agencies including the Department of State Security (DSS), Police, Civil Defence and army, as well as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), monitored the election.
He also dismissed allegations of parallel primary election in any part of the zone saying that his committee remained the only panel mandated by the national party secretariat to conduct the election.
“I’m not aware of any other congress going on anywhere, like I said, I have told you my name and my committee members and we are the only people sent to conduct the election from Abuja,” he added.
By-election: Ex-PDP state chairman emerges Ebonyi South senatorial candidate