How APC Plots Ekweremadu's Removal

There is indication that Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu will be replaced by the newly elected senator from Imo state. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Ben Uwajumogu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner of Imo North Senatorial District rerun election held on July 28,

Uwajumogu scored 56,076 votes to defeat Mr Athan Achonu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 43, 815 votes.

Prof. Arinze Agbogu, the INEC Returning Officer for Imo North Senatorial District, who announced the result in the early hours of Friday, said the outcome was a summation of scores of July 23 and that of July 28 exercise.

Uwajumogu, had scored 48,921 on July 23, while Achonu, of the PDP, scored 40, 142 votes which made INEC to declare the rerun inconclusive.

Agbogu said that available data before him showed that Uwajumogu had majority of lawful votes cast, and therefore returned elected for the Imo North Senatorial District.

Similarly, INEC declared Nkenna Nzeruo of the APC winner of Oru East State Constituency, while Mr Collins Chiji also of APC was declared winner for Isiala Mbano State Constituency.

The two state constituencies’ elections were equally declared inconclusive due to reported cases of violence that marred the exercise in some communities in the two areas on July 23.

Uwajumogu told journalists in Owerri that he was highly elated over the victory, adding “my gratitude goes more to Rochas Okorocha whose structure helped me to win this senatorial election

Some APC key figures who spoke to SECURITY MONITOR on confidence posit that all is set to resolve the crisis in the National Assembly as the party now has a senator from the South East. It was gathered that the only antidote to peace in the Senate is to work out the exit of PDP from the principal leadership of the National Assembly.