By Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
BENUE State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has failed to achieve his ambition of representing the people of Benue North West senatorial district having lost the senatorial district election conducted last Saturday to his former aide, Hon. Titus Zam of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
In the result announced by the senatorial Collation Officer, Professor Rufus Shaato in INEC office, North Bank, Makurdi on Monday, Hon. Zam polled 143,151 votes to dislodge Gov Ortom who polled 106,882 votes while Mark Gbillah of Labour Party, LP, currently representing Gwer East/Gwer West polled 51,980 to come third.
Hon. Zam, fielding questions from newsmen after the declaration said Gov Ortom lost as a result of poor leadership.
Meanwhile, Senator Abba Moro, the incumbent senator of Benue South senatorial district, has been declared winner of the senatorial election conducted last Saturday.
Professor Robert Tee, the senatorial district Collation Officer who announced the result in Otukpo, headquarters of the senatorial district on Monday, said Sen Moro polled a total of 76,459 votes to beat Comrade Daniel Onjeh of the APC and Joe Ojobo of Labour Party, LP who scored 40,194 votes.
Also, Hon Blessing Onuh of the APC and daughter of former Senate president, David Mark currently representing Otukpo/Ohimini polled 29,031 to defeat his closest rival, Alex Ogbe of the PDP who polled 21,741.
In Makurdi/Guma federal constituency, Dickson Tarkighir of the APC scored 49,511 votes to beat Benjamin Uzondu of PDP who scored 43,803 votes.
In Oju/Obi, David Ogewu of APC polled 26,450 votes to beat Samson Okwu of
PDP who polled 12,506 votes.
In Gwer East/Gwer West, Buruku, Gboko/Tarka, Arch Asema Achado, Tsekaa Iortyom, Apa/Agatu, Kwande/Ushongo, Katsina-Ala/Ukum,Logo, official declaration of results is being awaited.
Also Governor Ben Ayade lost his bid to return to the Senate following his defeat by the incumbent senator representing Cross River North, Sen. Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe.
Ayade who was in the Senate between 2011 and 2015, lost the National Assembly elections conducted on Saturday with 56,595 votes against Agom-Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 76,145 votes.
The returning officer, Dr Emmanuel Emanghe, who spoke on behalf of the Independent National Electoral Commission announced the result of the polls around 3:05 a.m. on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Agom-Jarigbe, a two-time member of the House of Representatives, was elected into the Senate through a bye-election in September 2021 following the death of Dr Rose Okoh.
Similarly, Ayade who is serving out his two-term as Governor of the state sought to replace Agom-Jarigbe as the Senator representing the Northern senatorial district of Cross River.
Supreme Court affirms Labour Party’s Chijioke Edeoga as guber candidate for Enugu state.
The Supreme Court has confirmed a former Commissioner for Environment in Enugu State, Chijioke Edeoga, as the authentic governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the state.
In a judgment delivered Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by Evarest Nnaji.
In the judgment presided over by Justice Kudirat Kekereke-Ekun, the court upheld the position of the Appeal Court that Nnaji has no locus standi to challenge the outcome of the LP governorship primary since he didn’t participate in the process.
The judgment puts to rest the controversy surrounding the ticket which has lingered for some time.
