The All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State was conducted peacefully across the wards monitored in Asaba, with former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, recording overwhelming victories over fellow aspirant Ngozi Okolie.
Our correspondent who monitored the exercise in wards 5, 9 and 11 reported a calm atmosphere, orderly voting process and impressive turnout of party members throughout the exercise.
The election, which was restricted to accredited APC card-carrying members, witnessed steady participation from voters who turned out in large numbers to cast their ballots.
Across the wards visited, Elumelu dominated the polls with commanding margins, while Okolie failed to make significant inroads.
In Ward 11, party officials disclosed that Elumelu polled over one thousand votes, while Okolie recorded no vote in the ward.
Speaking after the collation of votes in Ward 9, the Returning Officer for the House of Representatives primary election, Engr. Kingsley Adigwu Oniawa, described the process as transparent and orderly.
“There was no issue. The process was peaceful and calm. I counted the votes accordingly and the outcome was peaceful,” he said.
Party leaders and government appointees who monitored the exercise also commended the turnout and discipline displayed by party faithful during the election.
Hon. Sunday Obi, Executive Assistant to the Governor on Community Development, said APC members responded massively after being properly mobilised ahead of the primaries.
“They all turned out. They were duly informed and the voters came out in their numbers. From the turn of events today, card-carrying members came out to vote,” he stated.
According to him, Elumelu secured over 1,800 votes in Ward 9 alone, a result he said demonstrated the candidate’s strong grassroots acceptance ahead of the general election.
“He is prepared to face the main election. We have been doing our work, reaching out to people to vote for our party,” Obi added.
He further linked the party’s growing support in the area to the leadership style of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, whom he described as a peace-loving leader with strong relationships across political divides.
“The governor has done well. He is a friendly governor who has maintained good relationships both with the opposition and members of our party. He is a peace-loving governor,” Obi said.
The Ward 9 APC Chairman, Ngoziame Baze, equally praised the conduct of the exercise, stressing that electoral guidelines were strictly observed throughout the voting process.
“The turnout was good. The election went well and there was no problem. INEC officials were all here and everything went smoothly. There was no clash and no challenge of any kind,” he said.
He noted that only verified APC members were permitted to vote.
“Anybody who had no APC membership card was not allowed to vote. Only those with membership cards participated,” he explained.
In Ward 11, party stakeholder George Nwanem Ogoliegbunam confirmed Elumelu’s landslide victory, saying the result reflected the overwhelming support enjoyed by the former federal lawmaker within the ward.
“Everything was okay. Ndudi Elumelu won the primaries in Ward 11. He scored over a thousand votes, while Ngozi Okolie got zero votes,” he stated.
Also reacting to the outcome, former Oshimili South Local Government Chairman and Executive Assistant to the Governor on Political Matters, Hon. Izuka Okolo, described the voter turnout as highly encouraging.
“The turnout was very impressive. People came out to vote and even after the election had concluded, people were still arriving,” he said.
Okolo noted that the successful conduct of the primaries had positioned the party for the next phase of political engagement ahead of the general elections.
“Immediately after these primaries, we will swing into action. It will be a door-to-door grassroots campaign. With what the governor has done in the state, we are confident of victory,” he added.
