On Saturday,
the Labour Party held their governorship primaries in Owerri, the capital city
of Imo state in Nigeria. The primary election saw Athan Achonu emerge as the
winner, receiving 134 votes, according to reports.
The
returning officer of the primary election, Alex Otti, who is also the
Abia-State governor-elect, declared Achonu’s victory after the exercise. Otti
vouched for the credibility of the exercise and announced that Achonu had
outnumbered his closest competitor, Major General Jack Ogunewe, who received
121 votes.
In his
declaration, Otti said, “I hereby return Athan Achonu as the LP candidate.” The
victory marks a significant achievement for Achonu, who was elected into the
Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2015 to represent Imo North on the
platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
However, his
election was upturned by the Appeal Court sitting in Owerri, Imo State capital,
in December 2015, at the instance of the candidate of the Accord Party. The
court ruled that the PDP’s logo was not included in the ballot papers used for
the 2015 National Assembly election, and the candidate of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Benjamin Uwajumogu, was then declared the winner of the polls.
It is
important to note that the three major parties in the state have held their
primary elections to choose a candidate for the governorship position. While
Athan Achonu emerged for the Labour Party, Hope Uzodimma won the All
Progressive Congress (APC), and Samuel Anyanwu fit the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP).
