Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii has been declared winner of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, governorship primary in Ebonyi State conducted across the 13 local government areas of the state on Tuesday.

Odii emerged unopposed during the exercise monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

 Chairman of the committee that conducted the primary, Dr. Lekon Rotimi declared Odii the winner at the party’s collation center in Abakaliki, the state capital on Tuesday evening.

Lekon said Odii polled a total of 8,281 votes to emerge the consensus candidate of the party during the primary.

“I  am glad to announce that from the 13 local government areas of the state, we have a total vote of 8,281 for the sole and only candidate of the PDP.

“So, after careful and carefully collating all the results and careful verification of all the results that emanated from all the local governments like I stated earlier, a total of 8,281 votes, I the returning officer for this election hereby declare the outcome of this election as such and I congratulate the winner.

“I therefore declare and return Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii as the winner of this governorship primary”, he said.

Chairman of the party in the state, Chukwuma Igwe described the exercise as very peaceful.

“We have carried out all our primaries by consensus because PDP is a very peaceful family in Ebonyi State and everything we do, we do it to show others the way to go.

“We are always leading the way and everybody knows that PDP is where we are and we all know the direction we are going . Very soon, you will see the moving train. The time of locusts is over.

“In today’s election, we have carried out our primary. We have emanated from the ward and that’s why we are coming out late from the ward to the local government areas”, Igwe stated.

Addressing the mammoth crowd at the collation center after the declaration of the result, Odii, who lauded the peaceful and successful conduct of the primary, enjoined the party members and supporters to enthrone what he called governance in the state.

He accused the present administration in the state of running a personal family business government which he described as unacceptable.

Odii, who was also the 2023 governorship candidate of the party, opined that he was in the 2027 race to liberate the state.

Odii said: “Ebonyi can never be consumed, Ebonyi can never be conquered. Ebonyi can never become a personal family business and we are here for the rescue of our own dear state.

“I don’t need anyone to celebrate me. I don’t need anyone to clap hands or sing praises for me. What we are looking for is the task ahead of us and that task is how to recover Ebonyi for a better development.

“It is time for us to bring about good governance, the governance that will benefit born and unborn children, the governance that will bring good governance to the men and women.

“It is about the governance that will bring good welfare citizens, to the civil servants to the teachers. It is about the good governance that will bring about good economy to Ebonyi State and that’s why I have made myself available to it under the platform of PDP.

“Quote me on record, Ebonyi will never go to darkness again. I am always good at challenging the status quo when the time comes. God blesses people because of their people. I am blessed because of the land of Ebonyi.

“Let the God of the land stand and fight for the liberation of Ebonyi State. I am not scared about their gathering.

“I am not scared about what the future brings. What I look forward to, is the happiness of Ebonyi State and I believe that happiness is now, there is no other time.”