The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Sunday declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Jude Ogbimi, winner of Saturday’s Delta State House of Assembly Isoko North Constituency bye-election.
The Returning Officer for the bye-election, Professor Christopher Onosemuode of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun, FUPRE, who announced the result, said 11 political parties contested in the bye-election.
He said the PDP candidate, Mr Jude Ogbimi scored 29,421 votes to defeat eight other candidates.
Prof Onosemuode who is the Dean of Postgraduate School, FUPRE, said the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Emmanuel Tabuko, came a distant second with 2,543 votes while the candidate of the ADP, Mr Agose Ogagaoghene, came third with 66 votes.
He, therefore, declared that Mr Jude Ogbimi of the PDP having scored the highest number of valid votes was declared winner of the Isoko North Constituency bye-election and returned elected.
The House of Assembly bye-election followed the death of former Majority Leader of the House, Mr Tim Kome Owhefere.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has congratulated Mr Jude Ogbimi on his victory in Saturday’s bye-election for the Isoko North Constituency seat in the state’s House of Assembly.
The governor also congratulated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the outcome of the election in which its member, Ogbimi, defeated his main challenger, Mr Emmanuel Tabuko of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, on Sunday, Dr Okowa described the election of Ogbimi as the confirmation of the will of the people and the PDP’s dominance in Delta.
He stated that the people of Isoko North across the 13 wards in the local government area through the ballots, spoke loudly and clearly of the choice of Ogbimi as their representative in the state’s parliament.
The governor, who led members of PDP in the Ward-to-Ward rally prior to the election, remarked that Isoko North people had once again proven their loyalty and commitment to PDP.
On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, Dr Okowa congratulated Jude Ogbimi on his victory in the Isoko North Constituency bye-election.
He said it was heart-warming to see Ogbimi emerge as a member-elect and expressed gratitude to the people of Isoko North for their immense support to the PDP.
Dr Okowa also thanked the Independent National Electoral Commission and the security agencies, observers and other stakeholders for a successful election adjudged to be free, fair and credible.