The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has taken a clear lead on Tuesday when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) resumed the collation of governorship election results in Port Harcourt.
Wike, who is seeking a second term in office, won in 13 out of the 15 local government areas announced by INEC amid heavy security outside the collation centre.
Announcing the results, the Collation Officer, Prof. Teddy Adias, assured that the commission would be transparent.
The governorship candidate of the African Action Congress, Biokpomabo Awara, trails Wike with victory in two local government areas.
The governor got the highest votes in Andoni, the local government area of the National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, where he garnered 92,056 votes to beat Awara, who got 5,335 votes.
In Ikwerre LGA, Wike polled 14,938 votes as against Awara’s 5,660 votes while in Port Harcourt City, the incumbent governor got 40,197 votes to beat the AAC candidate, who polled 11,866 votes.
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It was a similar scenario in Eleme and Opobo/Nkoro LGAs, where the PDP candidate garnered 9,560 votes and 63,141 votes to Awara’s 2,748 votes and 3,888 votes, respectively.
In Bonny and Okrika LGAs, the governor scored 10,551 votes and 25,572 votes respectively to the AAC candidate’s 3,046 votes and 3,803 votes in that order.
Other results show that Wike won in Tai, Omuma, Ahoada East, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Emohua and Etche Local Government Areas.
Nonetheless, Awara came strong in Oyigbo Local Government Area as he polled 32,026 to beat Wike, who got 8,652 votes. Awara of the AAC got 36, 661 to beat Wike of the PDP, who polled 25,765 votes in Akuku-Toru LGA.
According to party agents, the exercise was marred by violence in some of the local government areas