Imo State governor and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Rochas Okorocha, has been declared the winner of the Imo State Governorship rerun election, subsequently securing a second term in office.

IN nearby Abia State, the rerun election was won by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Okezie Ikpeazu, who beat his closest rival by a wide margin.

Okorocha was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC after the supplementary election held in parts of the state on Saturday were collated and announced. The re-run polls were held between Governor Okorocha and Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party. PDP. While Okorocha scored 416,996 votes, Ihedioha polled 320,705 votes.

It would be recalled that INEC had declared the governorship election in the state inconclusive. Okorocha was initially thought to have won the election when it was announced via several media outlets that he scored 385,671 votes compared to the 306,142 votes scored by Ihedioha, currently Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Returning Officer, Ibidapo Obe, had declared the election inconclusive stating that due to the number of cancelled votes which is about 144,715 in relation to the margin of win by the incumbent which is put at 79,529, a new date would have to be fixed for supplementary elections in the wards where elections were cancelled.

In the Abia State election, the returning officer in the election, Benjamin Ozumba, said that Ikpeazu got a total of 264,713 to beat the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, candidate who polled 180,882 votes.

The announcement of Ikpeazu’s victory was greeted by wild jubilation in Umuahia, capital of Abia State as many of his supporters took to the street to celebrate.