UPDATED: Oseloka Obaze Wins PDP Ticket For Anambra Governorship Primary Poll

Voting officially started at 3:24pm.

5 INEC officials present for observation and monitoring. The team from the INEC Headquarters is led by Musa Useni, while the state office is led by Mrs Amaka Nwankwo.

As announced by the chairman of the party primary, Gov. Dave Umahi, one of the aspirant, John Okechukwu withdrew and did that through SMS early in the morning.

Ikpeazu Linda also withdrew while Stella 

Oduah is yet to make any appearance.

Only agents of just three aspirants Obaze, Ifeanyi Ubah and Obiogbolu are on ground.

A total of 958 delegates were accredited and voting has ended.

Counting of votes started at 4:45 pm and it's still ongoing. So far Oseloka Obaze is leading followed by Alex Obiogbolu and Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah.

5:50 pm, at this point, Oseloka Henry Obaze has unofficially secured the PDP ticket for the November 18 Anambra gubernatorial election. Counting of votes is still ongoing.

6:20 pm, Counting concluded. Oseloka Obaze announced the winner of the primaries.

Updated:

Oseloka Obaze has clinched the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship ticket to fly the party’s flag in the November 18 Anambra governorship election.

The former Secretary to the State government defeated oil mogul Ifeanyi Ubah, Alex Obiogbulu and Senator Stella Oduah, to pick the ticket of the party.

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State led the committee appointed by the national leadership of the party to conduct the primary election. The election held amidst tight security at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre in Awka, the state capital.

A total of 958 delegates took part in the one-day exercise and at the end Mr. Obaze, a former Secretary to the State Government, emerged victorious with 672 votes while Mr. Obiogbolu came a distant second with 190 votes while Ubah garnered 94 votes. Two votes were declared as invalid.

After the declaration of the results, Mr. Ubah said the delegates list was only given to them two days to the election unlike other parties that got their list four weeks before the primaries.

This he said made it difficult for the candidates to campaign to the delegates.

He also noted that he and some of the candidates have already instituted a case in the court to challenge the primaries because of the massive irregularities

Three other contestants, John Emeka, a former minister; Linda Ikpeazu, representing Onitsha North and South federal constituency in the House of Representatives, and Akaolisa Ufodike had earlier announced their withdrawal from the race.