Ifeanyi Araraume and Frank Ibezim
By Our Reporter
A drama played itself out in Owerri as the Election Returning Officer, Hakeem Adikum of the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the All Progressives Congress APC, the winner of the Imo North bye-election without returning a candidate.
Adikum, announced the results scored by various political parties and their candidates, simple said, “I hereby return the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the bye-election held in Imo North on Saturday, December 5.”
He said the APC scored 36, 811 votes, while Emmanuel Okewulonu of the People Democratic Party came second with 31, 903 votes.
INEC’s failure to return any APC candidate caused disquiet as the supporters of the two persons, Ifeanyi Araraume and Frank Ibezim, laying claims to the APC ticket went home dejected.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo State, Prof Francis Ezeonu, told journalists that the electoral umpire was unable to return a particular candidate from the APC because of several court orders for and against Araraume and Ibezim.
Recall that an Abuja federal High court had on Friday barred Ibezim for from contesting elections.
The same day, a court of Appeal in Owerri sacked Araraume as the candidate of the APC and declared Ibezim as the authentic candidate of the party
