The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the governorship election in Imo state inconclusive. Due to the number of cancelled votes (144,715) in relation to the margin of win (79,529) by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Rochas Okorocha, the Returning Officer, Professor Ibidapo Obe, declared the election inconclusive.
He said a new date would be announced for a supplementary election in the cancelled wards spread across several local government areas.
Mr. Okorocha was initially thought to have won the election after he garnered 385,671 votes compared to the 306,142 votes scored by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Emeka Ihedioha.
The APC candidate is ahead of Mr. Ihedioha by 79,529 votes, which is by far lower than the 144,715 votes cancelled by INEC as a result of irregularities in some wards.
INEC’s verdict on the Imo election is a repeat of what happened in the April 26, 2011 governorship election in the state.