From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 general elections in the state.
Daily Sun observed that Nwifuru emerged victorious in an election which was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies.
He scored 743 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mrs. Rosemary Ofoke, who scored 63 votes.
The primary election held at Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium in Abakaliki on Thursday.
The election was attended by party leaders, stakeholders and goverment officials.
Former Chairman of Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Chief Elias Mbam, scored 10 votes while the Labour party governorship candidate during the 2015 general elections, Edward Nkwegu, scored 8 votes.
Former Senator for Ebonyi Central Senatorial District between 2003 -2011, Julius Ali Ucha, scored 22 votes
Chairman of the Electoral
Committee, Prof.Emmanuel Adebayo, while announcing the results, described the exercise as peaceful and orderly.
Meanwhile, Commissioner for Information And State Orientation, Uchenna Orji, has dismissed as fake news, reports in the media that a parallel APC gubernatorial primary election held in the state on Thursday.
Orji explained that only the election which held at the designated Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium which was monitored by INEC officials and security agencies was recognized by the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He described as a charade the purported gubernatorial primary election which reportedly held at a certain aspirant’s campaign Office in the state.
“That was not an election. How can an aspirant boycott primary election venue,  only to go to his campaign office to declare himself winner? Was any of the electoral Committee members for the primary election in Ebonyi, there? What about INEC officials ?
“It’s nothing but the last kick of a dying horse. The candidate of APC in Ebonyi State for the 2023 general elections is Chief Francis Nwifuru. He is a product of a properly conducted primary election backed by the party and monitored by relevant agencies” he said .