Okey Ahiwe has been elected as the new governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State.
Ahaiwe, the immediate past Chief of Staff to the incumbent Governor Okezie Ikpeazu emerged candidate after coming first in a primary election held on Saturday.
He replaced the former governorship candidate, Professor Uchenna Ikonne who died in an Abuja hospital on January 25.
The fresh primary election was conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022.
Ahaiwe scored 469 votes to defeat his closest contestant, the deputy governor of the state, Ude Oko-chukwu, and Lucky Igbokwe who both scored 12 votes.
A former chairman of the party, Emma Nwaka, who had no vote, and a former House of Assembly member, Sampson Orji, who polled 11 votes were also participants in the primary on Saturday.
A total of 516 votes were cast in the election with 12 invalid votes recorded.
The eight members of the Special Electoral Committee were headed by the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki.
Others are Senator George Sekibo, Senator Felix Kola Ogunwale, Hon. Binta Bello, Hon. Linda Ikpeazu, Mr. Atzer Terzungwe and Hon. Felix Hassan Hyatt who served as the Secretary.
The new governorship candidate, Ahaiwe aged 57, hails from Umuire village in the Eziama Ntigha Autonomous community of Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area.
(ChannelsTV)
