Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Christopher Adaji has been declared the winner of the Ohimini state constituency rerun election which held last Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).
The returning officer, Professor Nicodemus Agbulu while declaring the result at the INEC office in Idekpa, Ohimini Local Government Area disclosed that Christopher Adaji of the PDP polled 6,742 votes to defeat his opponent, Musa Alechenu of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) who polled 6,341 votes.
Agbulu further explained that the total registered votes stood at 41,427 while accredited voters was 17,424 and the total votes cast was 16,984 revealing that 417 votes were rejected.
Reacting, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Benue State, Nentawe Yilwatda described the supplementary election in Ohimini state constituency as an improvement on the previous elections.
He said the election was violent free, transparent, and credible, stressing that the feat could be maintained if the electoral act was amended with increased voter education among Nigerians.
On his part, the APC candidate, Musa Alechenu of the APC expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of the election.
Alechenu accused the resident electoral commissioner and the security of looking the other way while the PDP candidate, Chris Adaji and his co-travelers were buying votes.
But reacting, Christopher Adaji of the PDP, dispelled the allegation of vote buying, saying his opponent was making unfounded claims.
He thanked God for his victory and commended the people who came out in their numbers and voted to ensure that he won.
Adaji assured the people of Ohimini state constituency of adequate representation just as he hailed INEC and security agencies for ensuring a peaceful conduct of the rerun election.