Former Cross River State Commissioner for New Cities Development, Mike Usibe, has commended stakeholders for his emergence as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the House of Representatives by-election for Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency.
While promising to deliver if elected on February 26, he said, “I commend all the stakeholders including the delegates, fellow contestants and everyone who played a part in my emergence. I personally call on the contestants to come and let’s work together to deliver the party for the Saturday, February 26 by-election.”
Usibe who is a former Local Government Chairman of Yala, polled 184 votes to emerge winner of the highly-tensed primaries held at Ogoja Recreation Club in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River North Senatorial District.
Declaring Usibe the winner, Chairman of Primary Electoral Panel, Hassan Yakubu, revealed that a total of 235 votes were cast with one invalid, pointing out, “Mike Usibe pooled 184 votes, Godwin Offiono scored 45 votes and Mrs Magaret Odey got 5 votes.
“Based on the power conferred on me as Returning officer, I hereby declare Mike Usibe as the winner of this primary election.
“It is a novelty exercise and in every contest there must be a winner and a loser as God gives power. I enjoin other contestants who lost out to take it in good faith.’’
Continuing, the winner said, “PDP is not a personal estate, it belongs to all of us. I appeal to all to lay down arms and plead with the winner to carry others along.
On his part, PDP State Chairman, Vena Ikem, expressed gratitude to all members of the party who made the primary a huge success, adding, “it has been an intensive exercise and I promise that the party would bring everybody who took part in the contest to a round table and see how they can work to deliver the party.
“I love the fighting spirit we witnessed at the beginning of the exercise. That is the spirit of an opposition party ready to win an election. We promise to deliver our candidate,” he stated.
Congratulating Usibe, Mrs Magaret Odey said:”I see the exercise as free and fair and pledged to resolve every difference for the interest of all of us. We are one PDP family and we look forward to working together to deliver the party.”
Speaking also, Offiono Godwin said:“I congratulate Usibe and ask the electoral panel to ensure every party has a copy of the result.”
