Ebonyi APC rejects Umahi’s victory, heads to tribunal

Dave Umahi Ebonyi State Governor
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State

Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi during the March 9 governorship election, Sonni Ogbuoji, has said he would petition the tribunal over the results which saw Governor David Umahi re-elected.

Umahi polled 393,343 votes across the 13 local governments areas of the state to defeat Ogbuoji, his closest challenger, who got 81,703 votes.

Ogbuoji, speaking with journalists on Wednesday in Enugu, said the election was a sham which would not stand in the face of the law.

“We have assessed the conduct of the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in our state and the experiences our people went through.

“We were not in a hurry to make our position known until we have got all the facts, consulted widely and taken accounts and discoveries from our members, candidates and supporters.

“We have decided to make some facts public and clarify impressions about what happened on that fateful day in the state,” he said.

The APC candidate alleged that Umahi was elected in connivance with what he termed ‘the system’.

He said: “We, therefore, reject in its entirety the shambolic exercise, the processes that led to it and the result or outcome.

“I will continue to make personal contributions in any conceivable way that will ensure the smooth leadership of our dear state.

“At this point, our hearts go out to those citizens of the state that were killed, maimed, hurt, injured, kidnapped, brutalised and denied their rights.”