Silas Onu, former Ebonyi State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has emerged as the party’s candidate for the Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone election on February 3.

The election, held on Monday at the zonal party secretariat at Afikpo in Afikpo North Local Government Area, was to fill the seat vacated by Senator Dave Umahi, the former senate majority leader, who was appointed Minister of Works by President Bola Tinubu.

Mr Onu polled 143 votes to defeat his only opponent, Senator Amah Nnachi, who scored zero in the election.

The PDP primary by-election committee, led by Lekan Rotimi, adjudged the election as credible, free, and fair.

Mr Rotimi declared the result after the voting and noted that the exercise complied with the party’s laid-down guidelines and existing electoral law.

“Silas Onu, having complied with the relevant electoral law and the PDP primary election guideline and having won the majority of lawful votes, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected as the PDP candidate for the Ebonyi South Senatorial district.

“A total of 144 delegates were accredited to vote in the election, with one invalid vote recorded,” he said.

Mr Rotimi said relevant security agencies, including the State Security Service (SSS), police, civil defence and army, and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), monitored the election.

He also dismissed allegations of parallel primary elections in any part of the zone, saying that his committee remained the only one mandated by the national party secretariat to conduct the election.

Meanwhile, Mr Onu, in an acceptance speech, thanked the delegates and party members from the Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone for entrusting him with their mandate and promising to deliver at the main election.

“We have work to do; we have less than three weeks until the election, and what we need to do is put our house in order. We have no option but to win this senatorial election, and together we will,” Mr Onu said. 

(NAN)