2019: Controversy as Uzodinma, Nwosu claims victory in Imo APC governorship primaries

* NWC suspends primaries indefinitely 

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo state is embroiled with confusion following the declaration of two aspirants – Uche Nwosu and Senator Hope Uzodimma as winners.

While Uzodinma was declared winner by the Chairman of Imo State governorship primary electoral committee, Ahmed Gulak, nine members of the committee have disowned him and declared Uche Nwosu as the winner.

According to the result declared by Gulak, Uzodinma polled 423,895 votes to beat his closet rival, the immediate past deputy governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere who polled 128,325 votes.

Nwosu, scored 10,329 votes while Sir George Eche was said to have scored 16,597 votes.  Engr. Chuks Ololo had 13,645 votes, Sir Jude Ejiogu: 12,369, Peter Gbujie: 12,329, Barr. Chima Anozie: 11,071; and Chris Nlemoha: 9,253.

But in a dramatic twist, Nwosu was declared winner by nine out of the 12 members of the committee.

The result, which was collated at the party’s Secretariat in Owerri and announced by the Secretary of the committee, Hon. Henry Idahagbon, after the Chairman Ahmed Gulak had absconded from his hotel room without the knowledge of other members of the Committee, saw Nwosu polling  455,655 votes to beat his closest rival, Air Commodore Peter Gbujie (rtd), who scored a total of 9,351 votes.

Gulak had, in early hours of Tuesday announced Senator Hope Uzodinma as the winner of the primary election, few hours after he told journalists that the exercise has been rescheduled.

But the secretary of the committee while announcing the result signed by nine members out of the 12-member committee, stated that “early morning of October 2, the police security numbering over sixty, ordered us to leave our hotel for safety as our Chairman has left for Abuja and has declared the result when we were yet to conduct the primary”.

Meanwhile, APC national headquarters has suspended the governorship primaries in Imo State indefinitely.

APC’s acting spokesperson, Yekini Nabena, did not give any reasons for the suspension in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

The spokesperson also said the senatorial primaries in all the 36 states of the country have been postponed until October 3.