Ex-Vice Chancellor of the Abia State University (ABSU), Professor Uche Ikonne was on Wednesday, declared the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate for the 2023 general election in Abia State.
Ikonne who is the preferred candidate of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu who also doubled as the leader of the PDP in Abia State, polled a total of 468 votes to defeat co-contestants jostling for the party’s governorship seat ticket ahead of main elections in 2023 in the state.
However, Mr Peter Ayo Fayose, the Chairman, Abia State PDP Gubernatorial Primary Election Committee and former Governor of Ekiti State, while announcing the result of the Governorship Primary Election held at the Umuahia Township Stadium, on Wednesday, disclosed that three aspirants including Professor Uche Ikonne, Mayor Lucky Igbokwe and Mrs Ezinwanyi Jonah were present to participate in the election.
Fayose further revealed that out of a total number of 554 accredited delegates for the election, 8 were void votes while the remaining votes were distributed in the following order:
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe(5), Enyinnaya Nwafor (4), Ncheta Omerekpe (3), Sampson Orji (4), Ude Oko Chukwu (6) Lucky Igbokwe (45), Senator Emma Nwaka (4), Professor Greg Ibe (2), Mrs Ezinwaanyi Jonah (5) and Prof. Uchenna Ikonne (468).
In his acceptance speech, the PDP Gubernatorial candidate, Ikonne thanked the leader of the party in Abia State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the party leadership and delegates for the confidence reposed in him, saying that he would not disappoint the party nor the people of Abia State.
Professor Ikonne promised to institute participatory governance in the State and give the people the needed democracy dividends while assuring the PDP that he would win the 2023 general elections and consolidate on the positive turn around in the State.
On her part over the outcome of the PDP Governorship primary election on Wednesday, one of the aspirants, Mrs. Ezinwanyi Jonah described the exercise as successful, and also congratulated the winner, Professor Ikonne on his emergence as PDP gubernatorial flag bearer for the upcoming 2023 elections in Abia State.
She assured that she would work with him to ensure he becomes victorious in the general election.
AFRIPOST reports that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and officers of various security agencies were on ground to observe the concluded Abia State PDPÂ Governorship Primary Election.