In what appears to be a quick turnaround, Professor Umenweke, the Returning Officer of Anambra South Senatorial elections has withdrawn his earlier letter to INEC wherein he recanted his declaration of Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah as the winner of the Anambra South Senatorial elections and declared the election inconclusive.
He went ahead to reaffirm his earlier declaration that Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, the candidate for YPP is the winner of the Anambra South Senatorial seat as he had carried out extensive enquires and investigations from the seven Local Government Collation Officers and found the content and claims of the petition submitted by Mr. Chris Uba as unfounded.
His letter reads:
"My letter of 25th February, 2019 which was a response to a letter dated 23rd February, 2019 by the Chief Sir Chris Uba, the PDP Candidate is hereby referred to.
By virtue of my letter of 25/02/2019, I stayed that the results of the election into the Anambra South Senatorial seat were inconclusive, to enable me debrief the seven Local Government collation officers on the issues raised in the petition of 23/02/2019. It was also to enable me investigate the claims contained therein.
Within this interval, I have made extensive enquires and investigations from the seven Local Government Collation Officer involved and none received any reports from the wards in the form of Form EC 40 G. Consequently none of them generated any Form EC 40 G1.
No reports whatsoever were received by the Local Government Collation Officers involved in the Anambra South Senatorial Elections. No such report was given to me. In the light of the above, there is no evidence before me to support the claims of the writer of the petition of 23rd February, 2019.
By virtue of the foregoing, I hereby re-affirm my declaration that Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah the candidate for YPP is the winner of the Anambra South Senatorial seat.
My letter of 25/02/2019 is hereby withdrawn"
Professor Umenweke also went further to discredit the publication by Punch newspapers on the 27th of February, 2019, pointing out that he did not announce the result under duress and never was there a time during the announcement of the results where a gun or knife was pointed at him.
In addition to the acknowledged letter released by the management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University and the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Public Relations Officer of the University, Dr. Emmanuel Ojukwu confirmed via a phone call that the University received the letter from Prof. Umenweke where he reaffirmed that Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah remains the Senator-elect for Anambra South Senatorial District.
..... Recall that Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah polled a total of 87,081 votes to defeat his closest rival, Chris Uba of PDP who amassed 52,462 votes and Nicholas Ukachukwu with 51,269 votes. Andy Uba who is the incumbent recorded a meagre 13,245 votes. On his way to this historic victory, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah defeated the Uba brothers in their wards and Local Government, Aguata LGA.
He also amassed an overwhelming 28,101 votes in Nnewi North with his closest rival, Chris Uba of PDP recording just 5,849 votes. He also won in Ekwusigo LGA and Orumba South Local Government making it 4 LGAs out of 7LGAs which makes up Anambra South Senatorial District where he won convincingly with a margin of 35,000 votes.
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