The co-founder and Group Executive Director of Sahara Group, Tonye Cole, has won the All Progressives Congress Party, APC’s governorship primaries in Rivers State.
Cole defeated three other candidates who turned up at the primary to emerge as the party’s governorship candidate in the state for the 2023 general elections.
The businessman polled a total of 986 votes to defeat Ojukaye Flag Amachree, Seconte Davies, Ibinabo West, and Benrard Mikko, who scored 190, 47, 43 and 2 to come a distant second, third and fourth respectively.
The Chairman, Rivers State APC Governorship Primaries Election, Larry Odey, who announced the result said a total of 1308 delegates were accredited while 1295 voted; 1285 votes were valid while 12 votes were voided.
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Meanwhile the winner, Tonye Cole, in his acceptance speech, urged Senator Magnus Abe to sheath swords, saying that the primary was the most transparent electoral process he has witnessed, and promised to industrialise the state if elected in the main elections next year.
According to him, “I had made a promise to support anyone who emerges winner at the primaries including Sen Magnus Abe, and I want to use this medium to urge him to lay down his sword. Let us all work together,” he stated.
Also, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, emerged winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Senator Omo-Agege emerged victorious after polling 1,190 votes in the Delta State APC governorship primary election.
Although he was returned unopposed, delegates reaffirmed their votes in line with the Electoral Act.
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Chairperson of the Electoral Committee, Oyibo Nwaneri Esq., congratulated the winner and party delegates on a successful exercise.
Secretary of the Committee, Ambassador Elijah Onyeagba announced that out of the 1,350 adhoc delegates, 1,235 were duly accredited while 1,190 votes were cast for the lawmaker with one void vote.
The event which was held at Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, was supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), police and State Security Service operatives.
In his acceptance speech, Omo-Agege thanked delegates for reposing confidence in him, assuring that he would not let them down.