The lawmaker representing Afikpo and Edda Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Iduma Igariwey Enwo, has been declared the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the constituency.
Igariwey was the consensus candidate of the party, polling a total of 9,000 votes on Saturday during the primary.
Declaring the result at the constituency collation centre, Afikpo, the Returning Officer of the primary election, Dr Donatus Ilang, announced that Igariwey polled the highest number of votes during the election.
Ilang reiterated that the primary election was conducted in accordance with party rules and regulations.
Addressing newsmen on his victory, Hon Igariwey expressed gladness and joy at the development.
“I feel great, I feel very happy, it is a demonstration of where my constituency has placed me.”
Speaking against the backdrop of his purported disqualification being circulated on social media, Igariwey, who is a third-term lawmaker, dismissed such reports as non-existent and false.
According to him, “Nobody disqualified me. I also saw a document that does not bear my name; whatever is being circulated is completely strange to me”
“As a lawmaker, we were careful to note that those who aspire to represent this country are not just ambushed; that is why we created Section 85 of the Electoral Act”
“To disqualify an aspirant or a prospective candidate, you must do it within the requirements as contained in the constitution of Nigeria; you don’t just wake up and say you have disqualified a candidate. That is not the way.”
Igariwey opined, “for such to happen entails that the person’s certificates are not correct, age not up to the required age, or affiliation to cult groups, all of which are stated in the constitution.
Meanwhile, the Ebonyi state National Assembly Primary Election Committee, led by Barrister Kenedy Ekong, received and declared the results of the successful APC House of Representatives primary election.
The victorious candidates declared winners in Ebonyi State include Hon Iduma Igariwey Enwo (Afikpo/Edda federal constituency), Emmanuel Uguru (Abakaliki/Izzi), Eze Nwachukwu Eze (Ebonyi /Ohaukwu), Chinedu Ogah (Ikwo/Ezza South), and Hon Nkemkanma Kanma of Ohanivo constituency, respectively.
