BY CHIDIEBUBE OKEOMA

Despite having 79,715 votes advantage ahead Of his closest rival, Chief Emeka Ihedioha of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Returning Officer for the 2015 Governorship Election in Imo State, Prof Ibidapo Obe has explained why he did not declare the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha the winner of the Polls held April11,2015.

In his speech the Collation Centre in Owerri, early hours of Monday, Prof Obe said that the total number of cancelled votes were above the total number of votes between the two leading Candidates of APC and PDP, and at such no winner will be announced.

The Returning Officer said that whereas the total number of cancelled votes are 144,715, while the margin between the two Leading Candidates is 79,529 votes, no candidate would be returned.

Prof Obe further communicated that apart from Owerri Municipal, Ahiazu Mbaise, Ideato North and South LGAs, there were cancelations of votes in various identified booths in 23 other LGAs.

The Returning Officer asserted that in that situation, elections will hold in that Polling Booths it couldn’t hold before.
Prof Obe disclosed that the Election was inconclusive until it is held In the places that witnessed cancelations.
He informed that the date for the conclusive part of the Election would be made public soonest.
Okorocha scored 385,671 votes, while Ihedioha got 306,142 votes