The Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo State, Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, has declared the 2015 governorship election in the state inconclusive.
He made the declaration before journalists and agents of the various political parties that were involved in the election after the collation of results at the INEC office in Owerri, the state capital, on Sunday.
The INEC returning officer said the election was declared inconclusive because the total number of votes in the areas where the election did not take place was higher than the margin between the two leading candidates – incumbent Governor Rochas Okorocha of the All Progressives Congress and Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Protests about widespread electoral malpractices in some wards in the state, were also some of the reasons why the results of some polling units were cancelled.
Before the INEC’s decision on Sunday, Mr. Okorocha was leading in 20 Local Government Areas out of 27 LGAs.
Summary of the official results announced by Ibidapo-Obe showed that Gov. Okorocha polled 385,671 votes while Ihedioha got 306,142 votes.
Supplementary election would soon hold in the affected areas, the INEC has said.
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