The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, Sunday maintained a very strong lead as shown in the results declared at the INEC collation centre in Akwa.
Of the 19 local government areas’ results declared, Soludo, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), won in 17 local government areas. This positions him well to succeed Governor Willie Obiano.
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The INEC declared that there was no election in Ihiala LGA; while the result of Orumba North LGA was contentious.
Eighteen political parties fielded candidates for the election that had 2,525,471 total registered voters and 5,720 polling units across the 21 local government areas of the state. But four candidates are perceived strong. They are Soludo of APGA, Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Valentine Ezigbo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Ifeanyi Uba of the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
In all, Soludo has so far polled 99,160 votes; Ozigbo, 49,475; Andy Uba, 40,270 and Ifeanyi Uba, 20,262.
The INEC rescheduled the election in Ihiala LGA for Saturday, November 13, 2021 following irregularities discovered there.
The Orumba North controversy
The Retuning Officer for Orumba North LGA, Dr Michael Otu of the Department of Law, University of Calabar, said there was no election in in the local government area.
He said he was forced to sign the result under duress.
“I am traumatized and if not for God, I would not have survived. I had a terrible experience in this outing. The police officer turned me to his boy. Even they monitored me like a criminal. They did not even allow me to urinate. I did not believe in the results I was forced to sign,” he alleged.
However, the Electoral Officer, Comfort Omoruyi, accused Otu of not knowing the work of election.
She said the RO was not a normal person and that his behaviour was bad.
The development forced the state returning officer, Prof. Florence Obi, to hold a close-door meeting with officials on the matter.
She also acknowledged receiving a distress call and inform the Commissioner of Police about it.
As of 11.20pm yesterday, there was no resolution yet on the result of the election at Orumba North LGA as the meeting was still ongoing.
How candidates won and lost in LGAs
In Dunukofia LGA with 74,855 registered voters and 10,134 accredited voters, APGA got 4,124 votes; the YPP,1,360 votes; APC,1,991 and PDP, 1,680.
In Awka South LGA, APGA polled 12,891 votes; PDP, 5,498; APC, 2,595 and YPP, 919.
In Oyi LGA, APGA, 6,133; APC, 2,830; PDP, 2,484 and YPP, 900.
In Ayamelum LGA, APGA, 3,424; PDP, 2,804, APC, 2,409 and YPP, 407.
In Anaocha LGA, APGA scored 6,911; PDP, 5,108; APC, 2,085 and YPP, 868
In Anambra East LGA, APGA, 9,747; APC, 2,034; PDP, 1,380 and YPP, 559.
In Idemili South LGA, APGA, 2, 312; YPP, 752; APC 1,039; PDP, 2,016.
In Onitsha South LGA, APGA, 4,281; PDP, 2,253; APC, 2,050 and YPP, 271.
In Njikoka LGA, APGA, 8,803; PDP, 3,409; APC, 3,216 and YPP, 924.
In Nnewi North LGA, YPP got 6,485; APGA, 3,369; PDP, 1,511 and APC, 1,278.
In Orumba South LGA, APGA, 4,394; APC, 2,060; PDP, 1,672 and YPP 887.
In Ogbaru LGA, PDP won with 3,445; APGA got 3,051; APC, 1,178 and YPP, 484.
In Onitsha North LGA, APGA got 5,587; APC, 3,909; PDP, 3,781 and YPP, 682.
In Aguata LGA, APGA got 9,136; APC, 4,773; PDP, 3,798 and YPP, 1,070.
In Idemili North LGA, APGA, 5,358; PDP, 2,312; APC, 2,291 and YPP, 902.
In Ekwusigo LGA, APGA, 2,570; PDP, 1,857; APC, 1,237 and YPP, 727.
In Nnewi South LGA, APGA, 3,243; PDP, 2,226; APC, 1,307 and YPP, 1,327.
In Awka North LGA, APGA got 1,908 votes; PDP, 840, APC, 755 and YPP, 381.
In Anambra West LGA, APGA, 1,918; PDP, 1,401; APC, 1,233 and YPP, 357.
APGA speaks as APC, PDP mum
The National Chairman of APGA, Victor Oye, told Daily Trust that the party’s victory was expected owing to its achievements in the state.
He dismissed the controversy surrounding presentation by the collation officer for Orumba North, Otu, saying the result sheets displayed at the collation centre were neat and did not connote any sign of crisis.
Meanwhile, the APC and the PDP declined comment.
By Abbas Jimoh, Titus Eleweke, Jude Owuamanam (Awka), Muideen Olaniyi & Saawua Terzungwe (Abuja)
