The All Progressives Congress, (APC), in Ebonyi State on Thursday held Parallel Primary elections and they produced two gubernatorial candidates ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
Findings show that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the state is divided, one faction is led by the governor David Umahi and another, by Elias Mbam.
The Ebonyi Governor held his factional guber primary at the township stadium in the state while the other primary election held at an undisclosed venue in the same state.
Umahi’s side produced the speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, EBSHA, Mr Francis Nwifuru as the winner.
Mbam, who is the former chairman of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and fiscal commission was declared the winner of the second parallel primary election.
It was gathered that Mbam’s faction had stormed the unity square where the electoral materials were distributed in the early hours of Thursday to participate in the gubernatorial primaries but were allegedly attacked by suspected thugs.
However, Mbam who was declared the winner by a returning officer, Mr. Inya Otu who conducted his faction’s primaries said “Mbam secured 741 votes, Francis Nwifuru secured 7 votes, Julius Ali Ucha got 4 votes, Edward Nkwagu got 2 votes, Rosemary Ofoke got 1 vote, while invalid votes is 22.
“With these results, Elias Mbam having secured the highest votes is hereby returned elected as the gubernatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in Ebonyi state” he stated.
In a reaction, Elias Mbam said: “I want to thank all the delegates from the 171 wards of the state for founding me worthy to fly the flag of APC in the state. I assure the people that APC will win the 2023 election and will continue to retain power in the state” he stated.
Also, the Governor David Umahi’s faction group elected Francis Nwifuru as the winner by securing the highest votes of 743.
The returning officer, Prof. Emmanuel Adeboye who declared Nwifuru winner said, “Ali Julius Ucha got 22 votes, Edward Nkwagu got 8 votes, Elias Mbam got 10 votes, Rosemary Ofoke got 63 votes while the invalid votes are 5.
“Mr. Francis Nwifuru for having secured the highest votes is hereby elected and returned as the gubernatorial candidate of APC in Ebonyi state” he announced.