The incumbent governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, on Tuesday emerged the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the November 18, 2017 governorship election in the state.

The primaries, held at the Dora Akunyili conference centre in Awka, witnessed a large turnout of party faithful including the 1,119 delegates accredited for the primaries.

Obiano who was the only aspirant on the Victor Oye-led faction of the party was returned as the party’s governor candidate through a Yes/No voting by the accredited candidates.

Though the governor was the only aspirant, all the delegates still cast their votes. At the end of the counting, 1007 voted yes, 11 voted no. 11 were invalid votes, while five delegates did not vote at all.

Obiano thus became the second person to pick the ticket for the election, the first being Mr. Godwin Ezeemo of the Progressives Peoples’ Alliance (PPA).

Speaking at the end of the primaries, the former national chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh expressed joy at the large turnout of party faithful and supporters to the event adding that APGA remains the party to beat at the election.

He said that with the emergence of a flag bearer for the party that the party will immediately go to work to ensure victory at the end of the polls.

Umeh, who is the campaign manager for Obiano’s second term election, advised journalists to avoid being used by politicians to slander people’s image in the course of the campaigns.

While urging them to keep away from anything that will be libellous, he said: “No matter what, go for facts in your reports.”

“Five INEC officials witnessed today’s primaries and that shows we are moving in the right direction,” he added.