INEC Declares PDP’s Mba Winner of Enugu Governorship Election

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has declared the Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) in Enugu, Peter Mba, winner of the election conducted last Saturday.

Announcing the final results, four days after the election, INEC returning officer for the 2023 Enugu State Governorship election, Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe said that Mba polled a total of 160,895 votes to defeat his closest rival, Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party, (LP) who scored a total of 157,552 votes. 

Ofo Iwe also announced that the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) Frank Nweke polled a total of 17983 votes to come a distant third while candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) scored 14575 votes.

“Having satisfied the requirements of the law, Mba of the PDP candidate is hereby declared the winner of the election and returned elected,” the returning officer said. 

Recall that the INEC suspended the collation of results for the governorship election in the State  to allow it review results from two outstanding local government areas of Nsukka and Nkanu East. 

Since Monday, supporters of the two leading candidates in the governorship race have been protesting outside the headquarters of the INEC.  While those of the PDP were calling on the INEC to declare Mba winner of the election, supporters of the LP candidate alleged irregularities in the polls and insisted that the INEC must look at the results in their BIVAS and follow what the electoral act says.