INEC declares PDP candidate winner of Cross River North bye election

By Lateef Ibrahim

The Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Stephen Odey has been declared the winner of the Cross River North Senatorial District Election held on December 5th 2020
The PDP candidate pulled a total of 129,207 votes to defeat other contestants, AA: 58, AAC: 92, ADC: 388, APC: 19,165, APM: 93, NNPP: 216, PDP: 129,207, SDP: 188, YPP:387
There were a total of 420, 576 registered voters, 153, 052 accredited voters, 149, 794 valid votes and 2, 206 rejected votes.
The returning officer for the senatorial bye-election, Prof. Ameh Akor Dennis, declared Stephen Odey winner of the northern senatorial zone.
Prof. Ameh Akoh of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ikwo, Ebonyi State, who announced the result said the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Agin (SAN) scored 19,165 votes to take the second place, while African Democratic Congress (ADC) Gregory Agam came third with 388 votes, among others.
“The PDP candidate having scored the highest number of votes cast was declared the winner in line with electoral guidelines,” he said. In the same vein, the PDP candidate Mrs Maria Akwaji also won the Obudu State Constituency by scoring 32,166 votes to defeat her closest rival, Mr Abor Adaji of APC who scored 3,546 votes.
The Collation Officer, Prof. Abel Ezeoha of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University of Technology, Ikwo Ebonyi State announced the result after Collation from different polling units.
Akwaji is the wife of Late Goodwin Akwaji who died last July in the wake of coronavirus. By the result, she takes over the seat of her husband as a member representing Obudu State Constituency in the House.
According to the INEC, nine political parties contested for the senatorial by-election and six for the assembly. The senatorial bye-election followed the death of Sen. Rose Oko.
In his reaction, a PDP agent, Engr. Thomas Aruku described the party’s victory as well deserved. “I see the victory as very well deserved because among all the political parties in this election, it was the PDP that crisscrossed the 54 electoral wards. So, to me, we are just reaping the fruit of our labour, ” he said.