The immediate past Chief of Staff to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Okey Ahaiwe, has been elected as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for Abia State. He secured 469 votes, defeating his closest rivals—the state’s deputy governor, Ude Oko‑Chukwu, and Lucky Igbokwe—who each received 12 votes. Former party chairman Senator Emma Nwaka received no votes, while former House of Assembly member Sampson Orji garnered 11 votes. A total of 516 votes were cast at the special congress, with 12 ballots deemed invalid.
Several aspirants, including former Commissioner for Works Bob Ogu, businessman Eric Opia, and a female candidate, withdrew in favor of Ahaiwe, who hails from the same local government area as the late Prof. Uche Ikonne. The winner was announced by Godwin Obaseki, chairman of the Abia PDP primary and governor of Edo State, who pledged the party’s full support for Ahaiwe’s gubernatorial bid.
State chairman Alwell Asiforo Okere explained that the special convention was necessary after the death of the party’s former governorship candidate, Prof. Ikonne. “We lost our governorship candidate Ikonne ten days ago. It is for that reason that we are here today because the Electoral Act, particularly Section 33, has compelled us to elect another candidate within 14 days,” he said. Okere expressed confidence in the team led by Obaseki, urging the victor to be magnanimous and to unite with other candidates. “We must do everything to rescue Nigeria from corruption and poverty, starting from Abia State,” he added.
In his acceptance speech, Ahaiwe thanked the delegates for entrusting him to carry the party’s banner in the upcoming election. He pledged to draw on his experience in both the private and public sectors to advance the state. The special convention was monitored by a team from the Independent National Electoral Commission, led by Festus Okoye.
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