LP wins first state!

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*As INEC declares LP’s Alex Otti winner of Abia governorship election

*He polled 172,386 to defeat his closest rival, candidate of PDP Okey Ahiwe who scored 88,174

*Otti’s victory breaks PDP’s 24-year reign in Abia state

*As it stands, APC won in 15 states, PDP in 8, LP in 1 while NNPP won Kano state

By Lanre Oloyede

Labour Party (LP) Governorship Candidate, Alex Otti, has been declared winner of the Abia State governorship election.

The Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state, Prof Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti declared Otti the winner on Wednesday evening at the resumption of the final collation of governorship election results in Umuahia, the Abia State capital over 48 hours after INEC suspended the exercise in the South-East state.

Following the wave created by the LAbour party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Abia state is the first state the Labour party is winning.

Otti polled a total of 172,386 to defeat his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe who scored 88,174.

The Labour Party victory brings an end to the 24 years reign of the Peoples Democratic Party in the helms of affairs of the state.

Nigerian Pilot reports that the last time the LP produced a governor in the last 20 years was when Olusegun Mimiko was elected Ondo State governor from February 2009 to February 2017.

Before the announcement, Nnannaya-Oti said she will do the right of the people and protect democratic values.

“I shall stand squarely and unapologetically on these principles. The people’s votes and mandate shall stand.

“The pastor and the mother in me will not permit me to do anything that will adversely affect the future of our children,” said Nnannaya-Oti, who is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

As it stands, the results of 25 of the 28 governorship elections have been announced. APC won in 15 states, PDP in eight, LP in one while the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) won Kano.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won in 15 states, including seven re-elected governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Muni (Yobe), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno).

The party also secured wins for eight new candidates: Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto), Dikko Radda (Katsina), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Bassey Otu (Cross River), Mohammed Bago (Niger), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), and Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi).

On the other hand, the PDP secured eight victories including two reelected governors: Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi).

Six first-term governors were also elected on the platform of the opposition party. They are Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Siminialayi Fubara (Rivers), Kefas Agbu (Taraba), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta). In a historic win, PDP’s Dauda Lawal unseated Zamfara State Governor and APC powerbroker in Zamfara, Bello Matawalle. In a similar fashion, Abba Kabir of the NNPP unseated the APC in Kano State.