The Delta State House of Assembly candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC for the Burutu State Constituency 1, Alapala Anthony Ebitonmo, has been declared winner of the rerun election held on Saturday.
He defeated the People’s Democratic Party candidate, Asupa Forteta.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Alapala winner of the poll on Sunday, ahead of Forteta, in the rerun election held in Ayakoromor Unit 8, Oboro Unit 9, Enekorogha Unit 26, and Edegbene Unit 27.
According to the INEC scorecard, Alapala beat Asupa, winning all units and scoring more than 50 per cent of the votes cast.
The result showed that out of a total of 15,381 votes cast, 14,809 votes were declared valid, with Alapala polling 7,728 votes ahead of Forteta, who scored 6,616 votes, while 578 were voided.
Alapala was subsequently presented with his certificate of return by the returning officer, Prof. Arnold.
Also, in Ethiope West State Constituency, Blessing Achoja of the APC scored the highest number of votes.
According to the Returning Officer for Ethiope West, Prof. Ezekiel Agbalagbe, Achoja polled 6,462 votes.
Agbalagbe said that the APC candidate defeated his closest rival, Christian Onogba of the PDP, who scored 5,057 votes.
The INEC returning officer further announced that 12,041 valid votes were cast in the election.
The re-run election took place in 39 polling units in Ethiope West, cutting across Wards 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8 in Oghara-efe, Mosogar and Jesse Communities.
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Delta South Senatorial District under the APC platform at the National Assembly, Senator Joel-Thomas Onowakpo, has congratulated Alapala.
Onowakpo, in a press release posted on his X account, commended the electorate in Burutu “for their participation in the electoral process,” affirming the resilience of democratic institutions and the power of the people in shaping the state’s political landscape.