The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Hon. Uche Ekwunife of the Peoples Democratic Party as winner of the Anambra Central Senatorial District poll conducted on Saturday.

Declaring the result on Monday in Awka, the Anambra State capital, the Returning Officer, Dr. Pius Okoye, said Ekwunife polled 101,548 votes to defeat 14 other candidates.

Okoye, a lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said Chief Victor Umeh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance garnered 77,129 votes to come second, while Senator Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress placed third with 20,850 votes.

Chief Anayo Nweke of African Democratic Congress came fourth with 227 votes.

The lecturer commended the candidates for their peaceful disposition during the collation of results.

Reacting to the results, Ekwunife, who currently represents Anaocha, Njikoka and Dunukofia Federal Constituency, described the outcome as “victory for the masses”.

In a statement signed by her media assistant, Emmanuel Uzor, Ekwunife urged her opponents to sheathe their swords and accept her victory in good faith.

She commended the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District for electing her and assured them that she would consolidate the confidence reposed in electing her to the Red Chambers.

Earlier, Ngige had expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections and called for its cancellation in the state.

Ngige, who refused to cast his vote on Saturday, noted that “the entire electoral process in the state was given an open ended system that allowed for rigging”.

On his part, Umeh said the party would react in due course, adding that it was still studying the result announced by INEC.

“We have no reaction yet because we are still studying the result,” Umeh’s media aide, Stanley Okeke, said.