The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Sunday declared Dr. Ikeje Asogwa of the All Progressives Congress party winner of the Enugu North Senatorial District by-election held on Saturday in the 6 Local Government Areas within the district: Igbo-Etiti, Igbo Eze North, Igbo Eze South, Nsukka, Udenu, and Uzo-Uwani LGA.
Dr. Ikeje Asogwa’s emergence made history as the first APC elected officeholder in the state since its formation in 2013.
The Returning Officer, Professor Christian Ezeibe, declared Asogwa the winner over 6 other candidates of other political parties who contested for the same position. The announcement was made at INEC headquarters in Nsukka Local Government Area.
According to Ezeibe, the number of registered voters in Enugu North Senatorial District is 727,340 but only 184,094 were accredited for the election. The winner, Asogwa, got 162,360 votes out of the 184,094 accredited voters.
“Dr. Ikeje Asogwa polled a total of 162,360 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nestor Ezeme of the PDP, who scored 9,299 votes,” the Returning Officer announced.
The by-election was conducted to fill the vacancy created by the death of Senator Okey Ezea, who represented Enugu North Senatorial District under the Labour Party until his passing.
Results of the election for the 7 political parties that contested for the Enugu North Senatorial District bye election: Asogwa Ikeje of APC: 162,360 votes; PDP: 9,299 votes; Ossai Elias Okwudili of National Democratic Congress: 3,129 votes; Chika Idoko of African Democratic Congress: 1,676 votes; Eze Ejike Simon of Labour Party: 1,027 votes; Aneke Kingsley Chukwuebuka of the Boot party 1,607 and Charles Ugochukwu of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, 667 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Ikeje Asogwa, Senator-Elect, promised to provide quality and effective representation of his people to justify the confidence reposed in him by the people through their votes.
A by-election is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. The vacancy may be as a result of an incumbent’s death or resignation, or when the incumbent becomes ineligible to continue in office because of a recall, a prohibited dual mandate, criminal conviction, failure to maintain a minimum attendance, or when an election is invalidated by voting irregularities.
