By Onyekachi Eze
Irrespective of the complaints trailing how conduct of APGA governorship primaries was handed, Trumpeta has been informed how Senator Ifeanyi Araraume emerged winner of the exercise conducted on Sunday.
Reports have it that APGA Returning Officer, Mrs. Eberechukwu Ejikeme, who announced the result after the primary election that held at Kanu Nwankwo Stadium, Owerri, the state capital, said Araraume beat other contestants.
Ejikeme said senator Ararume scored 583 votes, Chief Okey Eze, 61 votes, Chief Frank Nneji got 48 votes, Daniel Kanu, 90 votes, Chief Ike C Ibe, 15 votes, Chief Ikedi Ohakim got 27 votes, Humphrey Anunudu 13 votes while Chief Stanley Amuchie got 14 votes.
Others were Chief Uche Onyeagocha, 43 votes, Chief Steve Nwoga, 27 votes, Dr. Sam Amadi, 11 votes, Chief Nick Opara Ndudu, 14 votes and Ziggy Azike also got 14 votes.
She declared Araraume winner, “having scored the highest number of votes cast by the delegates drawn from the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State.”
The returning office expressed gratitude to all stakeholders whom she said contributed in various ways to the success of the electoral process even as she asserted that the exercise was highly hitch-free and transparent.
Trumpeta however learnt that following the presence of Prince Daniel Kanu in the camp of Araraume of late, people of Owerri zone in the Senator’s camp have started making case to be allowed to produce the Deputy than it going to Orlu zone where Kanu hails from.
Apart from withdrawing from the APGA governorship primaries and asking his supporters to back Araraume who is from Okigwe zone, Kanu has been frolicking around the Senator, suggesting that a Deputy Governorship slot has been allocated to him.
However, this newspaper gathered from inside sources in Araraume camp that majority of his followers from Owerri zone who are uncomfortable with Kanu’s presence in the Destiny Organization political family are making a case for the position.
“The source further revealed that the target of people from the zone in Araraume’s camp is to use the position to lure Owerri zone people who may be aggrieved at the turn of events after the primaries where majority of their aspirants lost out.
What was said to have also heightened the demand for an Owerri zone person was Tuesday’s solidarity moves between the PDP candidate Emeka Ihedioha and one of the aggrieved APGA aspirants, Uche Onyeagocha.
“Yes, there is a desire to look at Owerri zone for Running mate slot to Araraume got to high level yesterday when Ihedioha and Onyeagocha met. To calm frayed nerves in Owerri zone, consideration is going towards Owerri zone. Though I can’t say for now who may be a beneficiary, “the source added.
