The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Imo North senatorial district bye-election but was unable to return any APC candidate.
The returning officer, Hakeem Adigun who announced the result said the APC scored a total of 36, 811 votes to beat its rival from the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Emmanuel Okewulonu who scored 31, 903 votes.
According to the electoral body, the decision not to declare any candidate as the winner was due to several court orders authenticating the true candidate of the party in the bye-election.
It could be recalled that 24 hours to the election, a Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri gave a judgment disqualifying Ifeanyi Ararume as APC’s candidate.
On the same day, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja also disqualified Frank Ibezim from contesting the election.
Ibezim was disqualified on the basis that he made false statements/declarations in the affidavit and documents submitted to the APC.