By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—Barring any unforeseen circumstance,  the supplementary poll to determine the eventual winners of the inconclusive Okigwe re-run senatorial election, as well as the State Assembly seats for Oru East and Isiala Mbano,  would now hold on Thursday this week. Confirming this yesterday in Owerri, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mr. Nasir Ayilara, said that the commission would do everything possible to get done with the exercise this week.

Meanwhile, reactions have continued to trail the result released by INEC for the Okigwe senatorial zone re-run election.

Addressing journalists in Owerri, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the senatorial seat, Chief Athanatius Achonu, who thanked the people for defying the rains to exercise their legitimate franchise, however, frowned at the absence of collation officers at the collation centres.

“I have the results announced in the various polling units of the local government areas, which showed that I was comfortably leading the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate. I urge INEC t do the needful by granting the wish of Okigwe people”, Achonu pleaded.

When contacted to respond to the allegation, the State APC Deputy Chairman, Mr. Ugochukwu Nzekwe, described Nigerians as “bad losers”.

While agreeing that “the re-run election may not have been very perfect, even as events have shown that Nigerians are very bad losers”, Nzekwe queried how anybody would have expected APC to lose the crucial election.

“I won’t be surprised if the APC candidate is finally declared the winner after the supplementary election, especially as he is clearly ahead of his closest PDP rival, by 8,000 votes”, Nzekwe said.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/imo-supplementary-polls-holds-thursday/

Cc: Lalasticlala