… PDP, APC suffer massive defeat
… APC rejects results, PDP awaits final result declaration for reaction
By Moses Adeniyi & Uthman Salami
Collation of results came cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the Saturday Gubernatorial poll in Anambra State, on Sunday revealed that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) cleared 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) out of the 19 LGAs released by INEC.
The results cleared so far as at the time of going to press show that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered massive defeat in all the 19 LGAs cleared so far by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The results cleared shows that APGA’s candidate Charles Soludo, leading with wide margin will replace the incumbent Governor Chief, Willie Obiano of APGA. Following the wide margin in the result released and cleared, Valentine Ozigbo of the PDP came second.
However, INEC has postponed governorship election in Ihiala LGA to November 13th over irregularities.
The result for Orumba North LGA is currently being contested and has not been announced when this report was filed.
While Soludo leads in 17 LGAs, the Peoples Democratic Party and Young Progressives Party (YPP) won in one LGA each.
Soludo led the poll in Dunukofia, Awka South, Oyi, Ayamelum, Anaocha, Anambra East, Idemili South, Onitsha South, Njikoka, Orumba South, Onitsha North, Aguata, Idemili North, Ekwusigo, Nnewi South, Awka North, Anambra West, LGAs.
The cleared results show that Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress, one of the frontrunners, with no fortune in any of the local government areas.
While Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party won in Ogbaru LGA, Ifeanyi Ubah of Young Progressives Party had the highest number of votes in Nnewi North LGA.
Result Breakdown
Breakdown of the results as announced by INEC is as shown below:
APC rejects result, alleges rigging, seeks fresh poll
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Anambra State, Mr. Basil Ejidike, has rejected the ongoing election process, calling for the cancelation of the yet-to-be-concluded governorship election in the State.
Through a statement released on Sunday night in Awka, the APC accused the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) of rigging the election, in connivance with “corrupt-minded INEC officials.”
According to him, “What is happening in Anambra is never an election but big time electoral fraud and malpractice.
“We want the whole world to hear our voice that we will never accept the outcome of the Anambra gubernatorial election.
“The candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the sitting Governor, Willie Obiano, manipulated the whole electoral system and we will stand to resist it.
“Ndi Anambra wants an APC Governor and there’s nothing anyone can do to deny them that opportunity.
“We virtually won in all the local governments, but Willie Obiano and Charles Soludo, through instrumentality, corrupt-minded INEC officers, subverted the whole process in favour of APGA.
“We want INEC to cancel the election and fix a date for a fresh election devoid of manipulations and malpractices.”
While expressing readiness to seek redress, the Anambra APC Chairman vowed to head to the court, should INEC insist on declaring the APGA’s candidate winner of the governorship election.
According to him, “But if INEC goes ahead to announce the results, we will definitely challenge the election process at the court of law, up-to Supreme Court. Nobody can intimidate us.”
Responding to the allegation, the chairman of APGA in the state, Nobert Obi described the APC accusation as uncalled for, noting that everyone witnessed a free and fair election.
When contacted for a reaction over the mass failure of the BVAS by our correspondent, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan said the party would react at the appropriate time.
He said that “PDP would formally respond to Anambra elections after the declaration of the election results by INEC.”
Dynamics which greeted the election saw a former governor of the State and vice presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 general election, Mr Peter Obi, losing his Anaocha local government to APGA, just as the chairman of the PDP campaign council, Senator Uche Ekwunife also lost to APGA in her Anaocha local government area.
Similarly, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige of APC lost his Idemili South local government to APGA, just as the deputy governor of the state, Dr Nkem Okeke who defected to APC before the poll lost his Njikoka local government area to APGA.