Abaribe, Orji, Ohuabunwa get PDP’s nod to re-contest in Abia

Theodore Orji

• Emenike, Ogah emerge parallel APC guber candidates
• Nnamani, Egwu, Ogba, Nnachi pick tickets in Enugu, Ebonyi

The Abia State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday elected senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Theodore Orji and Mao Ohuabunwa as its candidates for Abia South, Central and North districts in the 2019 polls.

They emerged from the party’s senatorial direct primaries conducted at Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia. Also, two factions of the state APC in their separate governorship primaries elected Ikechi Emenike and Uche Ogah as parallel candidates.

The Emenike faction, headed by Emmanuel Ndukwe, while announcing the result of its primary election yesterday, said the exercise was done through direct primary.The Chief Returning Officer, Professor Okezie Abarikwu who announced the results, disclosed that Emenike polled 274,133 votes.

The other faction led by its Chairman, Donatus Nwankpa, which also conducted direct primaries yesterday after two postponements, announced the results and declared Ogah winner with 86,875 votes, defeating former House of Assembly Speaker, Martins Azubuike who polled 10,889 votes.

However, former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani was formerly declared winner of PDP senatorial primary election for Enugu East zone. Nnamani secured 583 votes to beat Chinedu Nnewi and Nkwuo Ngene who scored 80 and 70 votes respectively.Although Nnamani had led in the election on Tuesday after scoring 579 votes against his closest rival, Gilbert Nnaji who scored 69 votes, but he was not declared winner because delegates from Nkanu West Council could not vote due to shortage of ballot papers.

Announcing the results, the Returning Officer, Okechukwu Igbonekwu, said Nnamani scored four votes, Nnewi polled 80 votes, while Ngene secured 70 votes, adding that Nnamani’s additional four votes increased his number to 583 votes and, therefore, won the election.

Meanwhile, former governor of Ebonyi State, Sam Egwu yesterday emerged as PDP’s senatorial candidate for Ebonyi North in the just concluded primary election in the state. Chairman, Senate Committee on Sports, who currently represents Ebonyi Central senatorial zone, Obinna Ogba and Michael Ama Nnachi of Ebonyi South senatorial zone, also emerged victorious. Ogba won with 404 votes against Paulinus Igwenwagu’s 229 votes, Nnachi won with 577 votes against Ekumankama, while Egwu was the sole candidate in the zone.