The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Okigwe North Federal Constituency in Imo comprising Isiala Mbano/Okigwe/Onuimo Ms Miriam Onuoha has defeated her closet opponent Mr Obinna Onwubualiri in Saturday’s rerun election.
INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Frank Collins of Nnamdi Azikwe University who announced the result said Onuoha scored 23, 690 votes, to defeat Onwubualiri of PDP who scored 10, 010 votes, while Mr Uchenna Ubah of APGA came 3rd with 263 votes.
He further explained that the number of registered voters was 200, 684, number of accredited voters – 38, 244, total no of rejected votes – 815, total number of votes cast was 35, 198, while percentage turnout was 19.06 per cent.
Collins noted that 28 political parties contested for the election adding that the margin of lead between the person that took the first and that of the second position was 13, 680.
He, therefore declared Onuoha of APC as elected.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that an Appeal court sitting in Owerri had in 2019 ordered a rerun election for the Okigwe/Onuimo/Isiala Mbano Federal Constituency as well as supplementary elections in 18 polling units of Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Federal Constituency and 12 polling units of Njaba state constituency.
The results of Oru/Orsu/Oru East Federal Constituency and that of Njaba were being awaited. Nigeria News
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
