By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday declared Mr Johnson Oghuma, the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of Saturday’s House of Representatives bye-election for Etsako federal constituency of Edo State, after he polled 39,879 votes to defeat his closest rival and candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Jude Imagwe, who polled 18,188 votes.

Imagwe, in his reaction, said: “For me, it was an opportunity to be a strong voice for my people at the House of Representatives. If the result as announced by INEC was a reflection of what transpired on ground, I just have to move on with my life. I am more concerned about the unity and development of my people.”

But PDP expressed displeasure over the outcome of the poll, describing the result announced by the electoral umpire as “pre-determined.”

The state Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, said: “The outcome of that election was already pre-determined, going by deliberate decisions never to conduct a free and fair election under the present administration. Card readers were not functioning. So, we are not surprised.”

Orbih, however, noted that the party would meet to decide its next line of action, saying: “The decision to challenge or not is a party decision and the party has not met over the outcome.”

It will be recalled that the seat became vacant after the former occupant, Philip Shaibu, became the Deputy Governor of the state.

However, INEC’s Returning Officer, Professor Jeremiah Omotola, who announced the result at about 10a.m. yesterday, said the APC candidate Oghuma, polled the highest number of valid votes and returned elected.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of the state, Shaibu, and a chieftain of the APC in Etsako Central, John Akhigbe, said the result of the election was an indication that the PDP was no longer in existence in Edo North.

According to Shaibu, “when we tell people that the PDP is no more in existence here in Edo North they don’t want to believe. But the result of this election has shown clearly that they are down and out. We are happy for this victory and for me, it is a special victory because after God elevated me, I was able to also work hard for my party to produce my successor. It is a special victory for us and we thank God for it.”

Also speaking, Akhigbe said: “What we did was to say do not give money to any voter, allow people to vote freely and the whole thing went the way it did. People came out to decide their faith. We have now known those that own Papa’s land.”