Alex Otti, a candidate for the Labour Party (LP), is currently in the lead in the Abia State governorship election held on March 18, 2023, on Saturday.
Otti is maintaining a comfortable lead in 10 Local Government Areas, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) preliminary results.
Otti received 66,024 votes in total to maintain his lead, according to the results announced by the various Local Government Collation Officers at the State Collation Centre at INEC’s headquarters in Umuahia on Sunday.
Otti was closely followed in the results by Okey Ahiwe, a candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, who received a total of 52,849 votes in the 10 LGAs that were involved.
Seven LGA results have not yet been released.
Isiala Ngwa North, the LGA where its governorship candidate, Chief Okey Ahiwe, resides, as well as Ukwa East, Isiala Ngwa South, the LGA where the LP candidate, Dr. Alex Otti, is from, Ukwa West, and Ugwunagbo, were won by the ruling PDP.
Umunneochi, Arochukwu, Isuikwuato, Ikwuano, and Bende are LGAs that the LP swept.
Ukwa East LGA
The major parties’ positions in the various LGAs are listed below:
LP – 2,273
PDP – 2,329
APGA – 646
APC – 560
ADC – 13
YPP – 759
Umunneochi LGA
LP – 5,940
PDP – 3,198
APGA – 581
APC – 2,034
ADC – 71
YPP – 314
APP – 679
Ukwa West LGA
LP – 2,883
PDP – 4,622
APGA – 830
APC – 1,209
ADC – 130
YPP – 890
Bende LGA
LP – 9,886
PDP – 3,410
APGA – 947
APC – 2,143
ADC – 459
YPP – 1,667
Isiala Ngwa South LGA
LP – 7,589
PDP – 9,093
APGA – 366
APC – 1,580
ADC – 39
YPP – Nil
Arochukwu LGA
LP – 12,689
PDP – 1,286
APGA – 460
APC – 1,082
ADC – 24
YPP – Nil
Ugwunagbo LGA
LP – 2,159
PDP – 2,539
APGA – 398
APC – 398
ADC – 11
YPP – Nil
Isuikwuato LGA
LP – 8,228
PDP – 2,204
APGA – 3,662
APC – 872
ADC – 136
YPP – Nil
APP – 523
Isiala Ngwa North LGA
LP – 7,323
PDP – 21,741
APGA – 225
APC – 839
ADC – Nil
YPP – Nil
Ikwuano LGA
LP – 7,054
PDP – 2,427
APGA – 499
APC – 1,098
ADC – 261
YPP – Nil
Professor Nnenna Oti, the State Presiding Officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), has postponed collation until 6:00 pm to allow for the arrival of additional results from the remaining LGAs.
Some collation officers claimed that some polling units’ results were thrown out due to claims of violence, election rigging, and theft of ballots and BVAS machines.
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The Returning Officer suspended it after Hon. Acho Obioma, the Labour Party’s State Collation agent, made serious allegations that the PDP’s over 21,000 votes in Isiala Ngwa North were fabricated.
The Collation Officer, Dr. Dozie Ndubuisi later presented it after making the necessary corrections and reports of alleged incidents in the LGA, and after counterarguments by the PDP Collation Agent, Charles Esomonu, it was later acknowledged.
Results collation is taking place in a highly secure environment.
