11th April, 2011
The PDP has won a landslide victory in Saturday’s national assembly polls in Imo State, according to results released this morning by the state INEC.
The ruling party won six federal constituencies out a total of 10; the opposition APGA managed two constituencies; while elections into the remaining two are to be conducted alongside governorship election on 26 April.
INEC had earlier postponed one, Okigwe South, while that of Okigwe North, was inconclusive on Saturday, due to the omission of the logo of the CPC on the ballot paper .
The PDP also won two Senate seats in Orlu (Imo West) and Okigwe (Imo North) senatorial zones of the state while APGA won in the Owerri (Imo East) zone.
The PDP candidates are Hope Uzodinma for the Orlu zone, and Amb. Mathew Nwagwu for the Okigwe zone.
Incumbent Sen.Chris Anyanwu, of APGA, reclaimed her Owerri zone seat, after defecting from the PDP, when she lost out in the primaries.
The elections on Saturday were marred by widespread late start, ballot snatching, and pockets of violence.
In Owerri, the state capital, accreditation of voters who turned out en masse, did not commence in most polling centres until about 2pm.
Violence was witnessed in Mgbidi, Oru West LGA, and Ohaji-Egbema when armed thugs stormed polling centres, shot sporadically to scare away voters and carted away ballot boxes.
On election eve, gunmen also invaded the home of the council chairman of Nwangele LGA, and shot and killed four persons while seven others were injured.
The council chairman, Prince Ezekiel Chukwunyere, however escaped miraculously.
—Tokunbo Olajide/Owerri