by Godwin Akanfe

Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba has lost his re-election bid. He was defeated in the Cross River State Central senate primary by John Owan Enoh, the House of Representatives committee chairman on appropriation, who gathered 217 votes.

Ndoma Egba polled 37 and Ambassador Egbe polled 20.

Another incumbent senator, this time the senator representing Delta Central in the National Assembly, Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, also lost his re-election bid as the Political Adviser to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and two time Commissioner during the tenure of former governor, James Ibori, Ighoyota Amori, defeated him.

Amori scored 237 votes while Senator Aguariavwodo scored 46 votes. Solomon Edoja scored 41 votes while Lady Kate Mudiaga-Erhueh scored 6 votes.

In the Delta South Senatorial District, Senator representing the zone, Senator James Manager, defeated the only challenger in the race, Air Vice Marshal Terry Omatsola Okorodudu (rtd). This was the district which would have seen Governor Uduaghan challenge for the seat, but the governor dropped out of the race.

The election held at Warri Township Stadium amidst tight security had Manager scoring 291 votes to beat his rival, Air Vice Marshal Terry Omatsola Okorodudu (rtd) who scored 13 votes, according to the PDP returning officer, Mr. Patrick Ukoh.

Governor Uduaghan who participated in the voting exercise as one of the delegates in the district cast his vote at about 3:36 pm and left the venue minutes after he cast his vote.

Speaking after winning the ticket, Manager said that his victory was a call on him to consolidate on what he has been doing for the senatorial district.

According to him, the primary’s victory was just the first hurdle to jump in the race, adding that his biggest challenge was to return President Goodluck Jonathan into office in 2015.

Okorodudu, who was his main challenger after Uduaghan suddenly stepped down from the race however congratulated him, saying he will work closely with Manager to ensure that the dividends of democracy are passed down to the people in the grassroots.

The member representing Isoko South/North Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Leo Okuweh Ogor, who also voted in the exercise, described the primaries as very peaceful.

In Abia state, Senate spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, won a landslide victory for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)Abia South Senatorial primary election.

The election,which held at the Enyimba Stadium, Aba had only two contestants, Abaribe, and Princewill Ojeh. Other aspirants had earlier stepped down for Abaribe, one of who was the former Commissioner for Environment, Eng. Solomon Ogunji, who announced his withdrawal shortly before the election commenced.

Declaring the result of the election, chairman of the electoral panel, James Ochunkwo, announced that Senator Abaribe scored 169 votes against Ojeh’s 2 votes.

Abaribe is set to clinch a third consecutive term in the Senate if he wins at the general election in February 2015.