By UGAR UKANDI ODEY, Jos
A one-time member of the House of Reps, Hon George Edwards Daika has won the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party to contest as the party’s candidate in next month’s senatorial bye election in Plateau South senatorial district.
Daika polled four hundred and thirty votes to defeat his closest rival Michael Dapialong who scored 199 votes, and two other candidates, Phillip Nyitni and Crysantus Dawam, who scored 18 and 5 votes respectively.
Held at the Comfort Royal Hotel, Lafia Road, Shemdam, the senatorial election drew 704 delegates from six local government areas of Langtang North, Langtang South, Mikang, Shendam, Quaan Pan and Wase that constitute the Plateau South senatorial district.
Although the exercise was scheduled to commence with the screening of delegates at about 10am, screening of delegates only commenced at 3pm while voting started at 4pm with Wase local government delegates taking the first turn.
The heavy presence of security personnel ensued that the exercise was peaceful and transparent as it was also witnessed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Senator Mao Ohabunwan, who was the Chairman of the PDP Senatorial Election Committee was assigned the responsibility of administering the exercise, and ensured that all protocols were observed and all logistics duly deployed to ensure a hitch-free conduct of the exercise.
In declaring George Edwards Daika, who is also a former speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, winner of the keenly contested primary election, Senator Ohabunwan noted that the outcome was a culmination of a transparent and duly observed process that was also peaceful and within the ambit of the appropriate laws.
Senator Ohabunwan declared: ” having polled the highest number of votes cast, and having met the requirements of the law, by the authority conferred on me, I hereby declare George Edwards Daika, winner of the primary, and is hereby returned elected”.
The State Chairman of the PDP, Hon Chris Hassan, expressed happiness with the peaceful and transparent qualities of the exercise and called on all party members to close ranks and work hard to ensure that the PDP wins the senatorial election proper on October 31, this year.
Hon George Edwards Daika had represented Mikang/Shendam/Quaan Pan federal constituency in the House of Reps from. 2007-2011.
