The spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ideato North/South federal constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, has been declared winner of the National Assembly elections held on Saturday, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
Ugochinyere polled a total of 13,026 votes to beat his closest rival of Chika Abazu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 2,368 votes and Labour Party’s Hon. Pascal Obi, who scored 5696 votes.
His victory was a thing of joy to his constituents given his recent travails.
In the build-up to the election, Ugochinyere went through a lot of attacks in the hands of the state-sponsored militia, who wanted to eliminate before the election. An aide to the Governor Hope Uzodimma, Chinasa Nwaneri, had in December last year threatened to kill him if he enters Imo State.
This threat was eventually carried out in January by the militia who attacked Ugochinyere’s home in Akokwa killing his uncle, three other bystanders and burnt his house and campaign vehicles. Barely three weeks later, another attack was carried out on his house by agents allegedly working for the state government.
The attacks and intimidation got so bad that that All Progressive Congress (APC)-led state was clamping down on members of opposition parties, particularly the PDP, seizing their campaign materials.
They seized voter education and campaign materials belonging to CUPP Spokesman and also detained and tortured those in possession of the materials for six days without charging them to Court or releasing them.
All these politically motivated attacks on Ugochinyere were because of his revelation of a voter fraud last year.
However, despite everything, Ugochinyere with the overwhelming support of his constituents surged ahead with his campaigns.
Emerging victorious in the last weekend’s elections, in the results announced on Sunday by the INEC Returning officer for Ideato North and South, Mr Onwuachu Chinyere, Ugochinyere polled a total of 13,026 votes to floor his closest rival in the election, the Labour Party candidate (LP) Hon Pascal Obi, who scored 5,696 votes.
The candidate of the APC, Mr Chika Abazu, trailed behind with 2,368 votes.
Ugochinyere in a swift reaction thanked God for his victory, and dedicated the feat to his late Uncle, Daniel Ikeagwuonu, and two others who were murdered on January 14 in his Akokwa country home.
He described his victory as a victory not only for him but PDP family and his Constituents.
He thanked the people of Ideato and all Nigerians for their solidarity, adding that unknown to so many, he won despite the machinations of state deployed to stop him by all means.
