The candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Mimi Azikiwe, has emerged victorious in the Onitsha North Constituency 1 by-election, defeating her closest rival by a wide margin.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer, Professor Ibiam Ekpe of the Department of Soil Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri, declared the results in the early hours of Sunday.
According to Ekpe, Azikiwe secured 7,774 votes, outpacing her main challenger, Mrs. Justice Azuka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who scored 1,909 votes.
Azuka’s campaign had drawn notable attention after she received strong backing from former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, who personally canvassed for her in the run-up to the poll.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ezennia Chuka Ojekwe, finished third with 1,371 votes, while the Young Progressive Party (YPP) flag bearer, Njideka Ndiwe, polled 655 votes.
Commendation for Peaceful Polls
While announcing the outcome, Professor Ekpe commended the candidates and voters for their peaceful conduct, noting that the by-election recorded an impressive voter turnout.
“The process was generally peaceful. I commend the contestants for their decorum and the electorate for turning out en masse to exercise their franchise,” he said.
Filling a Tragic Vacancy
Mimi Azikiwe’s victory means she will complete the remaining two years of the tenure of the late Justice Azuka, who represented the constituency before her tragic death.
The late lawmaker was abducted on December 24, 2024, and later killed. Her decomposing body was discovered near the Second Niger Bridge on February 6, 2025, sparking outrage and grief across Anambra State.
Boost for Female Representation
Upon her swearing-in by the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Dr. Somtochukwu Udeze, Azikiwe will become the second female legislator in the Eighth Assembly.
She will join Hon. Nkechi Ogbuefi of the Labour Party, representing Anaocha 1 State Constituency, marking a modest but significant step for women’s representation in Anambra politics.
