By Enyim Enyim
Former Minister of State for Water and Transport, Prince John Emeka, has clinched the senatorial ticket for Anambra North senatorial zone on platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a keenly contested primaries.

Emeka defeated four contestants, including the incumbent senator representing the area, Chief Alphonsus Igbeke, Denis Sylvester Odife, Fidelis Nnacheta and Ughanze in the peaceful and orderly primaries held at the Jonebs Holiday Resort, Awkuzu, Oyi local government area.

The exercise was monitored and supervised by the state security service, the police and seven electoral officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the seven local government areas that make up Anambra north senatorial zone.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the exercise,  spokesman of INEC officials that monitored the primaries, who pleaded  said anonymity, described the exercise as free and fair on ground that Option A4 was used to enable the delegates and aspirants see clearly how popular they were in their area.

He said the four contestants who staged a walk out while the result was being announced by the 8-man committee led by Gilbert Okoye because they were not comfortable that they used Option A4.

The former minister while speaking to journalists praised the committee for conducting a free and fair primaries in the presence of the SSS, police and the media men, saying that it showed that the was really the practice of internal democracy.