Bishop Sunday Onuoha of the Methodist Church Nigeria on Saturday emerged as the Governorship Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2023 general elections in Abia.
Onuoha polled 330 votes to defeat his rival, Mr Otisi Ukiwe.
The 41-year-old son of the former Military Vice President, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd.), polled 160 votes.
The Returning Officer, Mr Nkem Ukandu, who declared the result, returned the cleric as the duly elected Governorship Candidate of the party.
In a post-election speech, Onuoha congratulated Otisi for being part of the contest.
He promised to run an all-inclusive government, if elected.
He said that his emergence marked a new beginning for Abia.
“Abia people have spoken this night. They said they want a man of integrity, honesty and vision to lead them.
“They said they want a paradigm shift and I hereby offer myself to serve,” the clergyman said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise, which took place at Kolpin Society, Umuahia under heavy presence of security operatives, was hitch-free.
It attracted an unprecedented number of Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs) from across party lines.
In an interview with NAN, the state President of the Joint National Association of PWDs, Mr Wisdom Kalu, said that they came to show solidarity to the clergyman.
Kalu said: “All our members are here to show solidarity to the bishop, in spite of our party affiliations.
“Only 76 members of our association, who are card-carrying members of ADC, voted as party delegates.
“What you are seeing today is a reward to the bishop, who has never stopped to show us love and care, even when others abandoned us.
“For us, this is a pay back time.”
Another member of the association, Mr Chukwuemeka Anyim, said he was happy and excited over the cleric’s victory.
Anyim said that he was also happy because “this is the first time PWDs in Abia would participate in the primary election of any political party in the state”.
Anyim, therefore, urged other parties to emulate ADC by involving PWDs actively in their activities. (NAN)