Immediate past Chief of Staff to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Okey Ahaiwe, was on Saturday elected the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abia State.
Ahaiwe polled a total of 469 votes to defeat his closest rivals, including the Deputy Governor of the state, Ude Oko-chukwu and Mr Lucky Igbokwe, who scored 12 votes each.
Others who contested the primary were a former chairman of the party, Senator Emma Nwaka, who got zero vote, and a former House of Assembly member, Sampson Orji, who polled 11 votes.
A total of 516 votes were cast during the special congress while 12 votes were invalid.
Some of the aspirants, including a former Commissioner for Works, Bob Ogu; a businessman, Eric Opia and a female candidate had earlier stepped down for Ahaiwe, who hails from the same local government area as the late Prof Uche Ikonne.
Chairman of the Abia PDP primary and Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, declared the winner at the special congress.
Obaseki assured the candidate that the party will support him to win the governorship election in the state.
The state PDP Chairman, Alwell Asiforo Okere, earlier in his address, said the special convention became imperative following the death of the former governorship candidate of the party, Ikonne.
He said, “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.
“We are very confident that the team led by Obaseki, will do a good job because the party knows the kind of man he is before sending him.
“We know all the candidates. We urge the winner to be magnanimous and embrace others.
“We must do everything to rescue Nigeria from corruption and poverty by starting from Abia State.”
Ahaiwe, in his acceptance speech, thanked the party delegates for electing him the party’s governorship flagbearer in the forthcoming election.
The Abia PDP governorship flagbearer said he would bring his experience from the private and government sectors to move the state forward.
A team from the Independent National Electoral Commission led by a National Commissioner, Mr Festus Okoye, monitored the special convention.