Okowa wins Delta guber poll, Ogboru threatens suit

Governor-elect gets congratulatory messages

WITH 724,680 votes, Senator Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) candidate in last Saturday’s governorship election in Delta State was yesterday declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The state Returning Officer, Prof. Bio Nyananyo of the Federal University of Otuoke, Bayelsa State, who announced the result, Okowa’s nearest rival, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru of Labour Party (LP) scored 130,028 votes while the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor came third with 67,825 votes.

Accord Party (AP) came fourth with 3,297 votes, while All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was fifth with 1,256 votes. The governor-elect, from Delta North senatorial district won in 21 out of 25 local government areas with a wide margin as against four councils won by Ogboru who has consistently contested for the governorship seat since 2003.

Nyananyo said: “Having satisfied the requirement of the law, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of the PDP is hereby declared winner of the election. I Professor Bio Nyananyo, hereby certified that I was the Returning Officer for the Delta State Gubernatorial election held on April 11, 2015.

That election was contested and the 18 candidates of various political parties participated in the election.” But the state LP agent, Mr. Turner Ogboru, said his party has rejected the results, saying that shooting, snatching of Card Reader Machine and changing of ballot papers characterized the election.

The younger Ogboru described the election as toxic manipulation, adding: “We will apply to the appropriate tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election.” But the state PDP agent and Delta State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Funkekeme Solomon, countered, thanking INEC for “conducting a free, fair and credible election”.

Funkekeme remarked that he was grateful to God for the outcome. Meanwhile, a former Delta State Finanace Commissioner, Chief Bernard Okumagba, has congratulated Okowa who he described as “a very bright. competent and detribalized patriot, technocrat and administrator.”

The Urhobo prince in a chat with The Guardian added: “ Okowa will improve the lot of Delta and its people who I enjoin to give him full support to succeed.” Also, the Managing Director of Kespy Group of Companies and a top member of Okowa Campaign Organisation, Chief Frank Oduduyeke, has congratulated the governor-elect.

In a chat, Oduduyeke described OkowaLs victory as a testimony of the choice of a majority of Deltans. He added: “Okowa deserved the victory because he was the most credible candidate. He possesses leadership qualities. Okowa’s government is not a government of PDP alone but for all Deltans. All Deltans should cooperate with him.”