Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the senator representing Anambra North and candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah, winner of last Saturday’s senatorial election, for second term.
The returning officer for the Anambra North senatorial zone election, Prof. Hugh Maduka, who declared her winner after she polled the highest votes cast of 113,989 to beat the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate and former Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Chinedu Emeka, who polled 59,937 votes and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Onubugo Nelson, who scored 11,995 votes.
Oduah, after receiving the result at Onitsha North Local Government Area collation centre, expressed happiness over her victory and promised to work with her opponents who lost the election in order to move the zone forward for the betterment of the people.
She said: “I feel happy to be declared winner. It’s Gods doing and I know that with God all things are possible. My winning is a call to duty. It will spur me to do more and to affect the lives of the people. I will work with my opponents to move the district forward.”
She commended INEC for the conduct of the election despite some shortcomings, saying that she was expecting a time when every eligible Nigerian could vote anywhere they were.
Also, the member representing Onitsha North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Lynda Chiba Ikpeazu, has been re-elected for a third term on the platform of the PDP.
Ikpeazu was declared winner by the INEC returning officer, Prof. Chika Moore, of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, after she polled highest votes cast of 55,103 to beat Mr. Patrick Obianwu Nwachi of APGA, who polled 12,145 votes, and Mr. Michael Mbanefo Azubuike of APC, with 1,258 votes.
Ikpeazu, who received the result from the returning officer, commended INEC for a free, fair and credible election in her constituency, which made the will of the people to prevail.
She said she won due to numerous infrastructural development she attracted to the constituency, which she said was enough campaign for her, and thanked the people of Onitsha federal constituency for giving her the opportunity to serve for another term. She promised to sustain the tempo and do more work for the people.