TheCable

Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, says the margin of victory in the governorship election shows that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains in control of the state.

On Monday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP as the winner of the March 18 gubernatorial election.

Oborevwori polled 360, 234 votes to defeat Ovie Omo-Agege, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had 240, 229 votes.

PDP’s victory in the governorship election is at odds with the party’s performance in the state during the February 25 presidential poll.

The PDP, despite having Okowa as the vice-presidential candidate, finished a distant third in the state with 74,199 votes.

Speaking on the change of fortune, Okowa said the victory reaffirms the party’s position in the state.

He said the people “came out and voted massively for the PDP” because of his administration’s achievements and the character of the party’s candidate.

“We lost four LGAs, but we were able to get victory in 21 out of the 25 LGAs. And we got the overall victory with about 120,000 votes margin which is a clear attestation that PDP is in commanding control of the state electoral process,” the governor said.

“As much as security agencies did do, we had some incidences on Saturday and that is unfortunate because in Ughelli north, one of our strongholds, voters were attacked and injured. And eleven polling units had to be cancelled.

“One of our agents was also shot dead in another place. But despite all these, the people came out and voted massively for the PDP.

“By and large, the electoral process was very fair. INEC officials, collation official and the security agencies did do their best.”