The Nation Newspaper

Category: Anambra Decides 2021

  • Umahi denies accusing Obiano, Soludo of rigging Anambra governorship poll

    Umahi denies accusing Obiano, Soludo of rigging Anambra governorship poll

    The Ebonyi State Government has debunked reports that Governor David Umahi said the All Progressives Congress (APC) won’t accept the outcome of the Anambra election.

    The State government said the Governor did not make any statement on the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, which had been declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Umahi’ Media aide, Nwaze Francis, stated this on Monday in a statement.

    He was reacting to a post on social media which quoted Umahi, as accusing the Anambra Governor Willie Obiano and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Prof Charles Soludo of rigging the election.

    Nwaze said the State Government and the Governor had not commented on the election, urging the public to disregard such frivolous posts.

    According to him: “Our attention has been drawn to an infantile Facebook post on the timeline of one Chijinkem, alleging that the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr David Umahi, declared that the last Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Anambra was fret with irregularities.

    Read Also: Umahi: Southeast wants equality not Biafra

    “The poster equally implied that the Governor rejects the outcome on behalf of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and people of Anambra State and threatened to seek redress.

    “Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered responding to the ill-fated post by the attention-seeking fellow but we have elected to clear the doubt of some discerning minds.

    “First, His Excellency, Governor David Umahi, at no point, made such remarks about the Anambra State Gubernatorial election.

    “It is, however, uncomplimentary to imagine His Excellency speaking on behalf of the Standard-bearer of the APC and a Party that has a full-fledged structure, moreover, in an election that its outcome has not been concluded by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “Going by the foregoing, we hereby urge the general public to disregard the post as it has no iota of truth in it.

    “We also like to use this medium to remind the poster and other Social Media purveyors of fake news that the State Law on fake news is very much in place to deal with potential recalcitrant.

    “The General Public is advised to ignore the post as it did not emanate from His Excellency, the Governor of Ebonyi State.”

  • ‘APC boss has no locus to challenge Anambra poll outcome’

    ‘APC boss has no locus to challenge Anambra poll outcome’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Orumbra North Local Government Area of Anambra has berated the state party chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike, over his call for the cancellation of the yet-to-be-concluded governorship election.

    Secretary of the party in the Council Area, Mr Chukwuemeka Nnebe, who stated this on Monday in a briefing described the call as inconsequential, stressing that Ejidike had no right to challenge outcome of a peaceful and transparent poll.

    He alleged that the party’s candidate, Sen. Andy Uba, was not a valid candidate at the election following what he described as electoral fraud that produced him.

    He said: “Our attention has been drawn to the statement by the Anambra state Chairman of APC, Mr Basil Ejidike where he called for the cancellation of the November 6 governorship election in the state.

    Read Also: Anambra: Group urges INEC to enhance BVAs’ effectiveness

    “Mr Ejidike subverted democratic process to become Acting State Chairman and has no locus to challenge the outcome of a peaceful and transparent election.

    “Mr Andy Uba, whose interest he is fostering was not a valid candidate at the election when the process that produced him as a candidate of APC was an electoral fraud and undemocratic.”

    Nnebe said the election reflected the wish and mandate of the people, urging the public to discountenance Ejidike’s statements which he termed a case of bad loser.

    “Anambra people have spoken loudly by the results already announced by the INEC and the rantings of the opposition cannot change the wishes and aspirations of the people to sustain the socio-economic development of our dear state.

    “it has become clear that Anambra electorates have chosen their governor hence the submissions of Basil Ejidike is Inconsequential and does not hold water .

    “We congratulate Gov Willie Obiano, the National Leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA for the victory in eighteen local government areas,” Nnebe added.

  • Anambra poll: APC woes self-inflicted, says Nwosu

    Anambra poll: APC woes self-inflicted, says Nwosu

    A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and former governorship candidate in Imo State, Uche Nwosu, has attributed the declining fortune of the party in the Southeast to poor reward system that undermined founding fathers and old members of the party in preference of new members.

    According to Nwosu, APC leadership abandoned those that planted and nurtured the party in the Southeast and handed over the structure to defectors that never knew how APC was founded.

    He maintained that except the party retraces its steps, conducts free and fair primary and declare the winner without manipulation in the forthcoming 2013 general elections and reconcile the aggrieved old members, it may not recover from the self -afflicted crisis before the 2023 general election.

    Read Also: Anambra poll: Ex-APGA chairman lauds INEC over BVAS, peaceful exercise

    According to him: “What is happening to APC in the Southeast is a result of poor reward system, the party undermined those that worked so hard to plant the party in the zone and instead embraced new comers who do not have what it takes to endear the party to the people. Is the founding fathers of the party are not appeased and handed back the reigns of the APC, the fortune will continue to go down”.

    On how to revitalize the party ahead the 2023 elections, Nwosu advised that the party leadership should consult the founding members of the APC in the zone like former Imo Governor, Rochas Okorocha; Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, Minister of science and technology Dr Ogbonna Onu, George Moghalu, among others and open genuine discussions that will engender genuine reconciliation.

    “The party leadership can’t ignore those that worked so hard and invested their resources and time and expect to continue to win elections.

    “The party can’t gloss over the fact that all is not well, but all hope is not lost if it can reconcile the aggrieved leaders. What happened in Anambra State governorship election is a confirmation of the fact that the party vied off the original plan but all that can be remedied”.

  • INEC declares Anambra Gov poll inconclusive

    INEC declares Anambra Gov poll inconclusive

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the Anambra governorship poll inconclusive.

    The Returning Officer of the Anambra governorship election, Professor Florence Obi, said a supplementary election will hold in 362 polling units in Ihiala Local Government Area on Tuesday, November 9.

    She noted that election had to take place in those polling units for the election to be conclusive.

    Read Also: Soludo coasting to victory

    She noted that the election did not take place in Ihiala because of reports of insecurity.

    The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Prof Charles Soludo leads with 103, 946 votes.

    See the results declared so far:

    A – 1793

    AA – 76

    AAC- 580

    ADC – 313

    ADP – 743

    APC – 42942

    APGA – 103946

    APM – 288

    APP – 133

    BP- 173

    LP- 2697

    NNPP – 111

    NRM – 207

    PDP – 51322

    PRP – 428

    SDP – 782

    YPP – 20917

    ZLP – 2070.

    Total valid votes: 229521

    Rejected votes: 7841

    Total votes cast: 237362

  • BREAKING: Soludo extends lead to 17 LGAs

    BREAKING: Soludo extends lead to 17 LGAs

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate, Prof Charles Soludo has moved closer to being declared Governor-elect by winning 17 out of the 21 Local Government Areas in Anambra State.

    The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), according to results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has won in 17 councils.

    The Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate Senator Ifeanyi Ubah won Nnewi North local government area while Mr Valentine Ozigbo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won Ogbaru local government area.

    Soludo won in Idemili South Local Government Area where the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, a chieftain of the APC, hails from.

    He also beat his closest rivals in the governorship election, Senator Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ozigbo in their Aguata local government area.

    Soludo won in Dunukofia, Awka North, Awka South, Oyi, Ayamelum, Anaocha ,Anambra East, Idemili North, Idemili South, Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Njikoka, Nnewi South ,Anambra West ,Aguata, Orumba South and Ekwusigo local government areas.

    Details shortly…

  • Soludo defeats Obiano’s Deputy, Peter Obi, Emenike in their LGAs

    Soludo defeats Obiano’s Deputy, Peter Obi, Emenike in their LGAs

    Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof Charles Soludo, has defeated Anambra Deputy Governor, Nkem Okeke and former Governor Peter Obi in their respective local government areas in the Saturday election.

    Okeke dumped the APGA to join the All Progressive Congress (APC), citing unfair treatment by his principal for the decision.

    READ ALSO: BREAKING: Soludo leads in 10 Anambra LGAs

    According to results so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Soludo scored 8,803 to defeat Okeke and Peter Obi of the People’s Democratic Party in Njikoka Local Government Area.

    The APC scored 3216 while PDP got 3409.

  • #AnambraDecides: APC, PDP agents kick over results

    #AnambraDecides: APC, PDP agents kick over results

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have protested the results released so far by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) in the Anambra governorship poll.

    Their agents in Onitsha South, Dunukofia, Ayamelum and Anambra East local government areas said the results didn’t reflect reality from the poll.

    The APC agent, Chief Chibuzor Obiakor and his PDP counterpart, Dr Alex Obiogbolu, who is Mr Valentine Ozigbo’s Campaign Director-General, said some of the results did not reflect what happened on the field.

    Obiakor alleged there was over-voting in Umunnachi in Dunukofia local government area, adding that INEC should put it on record.

    READ ALSO: BREAKING: Soludo leads in 10 Anambra LGAs

    In Anambra East local government area, the agents complained the returning officer from the University of Calabar confirmed there were incidences in the area.

    They alleged at Enugwu -Otu, there was no election yet results were manufactured and announced by INEC.

    The returning officer said he had six incidences in the local government ranging from overvoting, violence, malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS to failure of officials of INEC to turn up.

    In Idemili South, Senator Chris Ngige’s local government area, the returning officer reported that Supervising Presiding officer SPO, absconded with 11 unit results sheets out of 12

    As a result, he said 89 polling units were affected with 40,337 voters disenfranchised.

  • Anambra Election: NYSC D-G hails 5,000 corps members

    Anambra Election: NYSC D-G hails 5,000 corps members

    Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has commended the over 5,000 corps members deployed to Anambra for the governorship election to ensure a credible process.

    Ibrahim applauded the corps members while monitoring the election in nine local government areas of the state.

    In a statement signed by Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, the NYSC Director, Press and Public Relations, Ibrahim described the corps members’ participation in the electoral process as “patriotic”.

    He however urged the corps members to remain impartial and perform their duties in line with established rules.

    “The corps members have written their names in the annals of history, having contributed towards the entrenchment of a credible electoral process.

    “I urge them to remain impartial and perform their duties in line with the established rules.

    Read Also: Anambra Decides: SPO carts away 41 result sheets – Returning Officer

    “In all the polling units I visited, there were security agents on the ground, and the corps members informed me that the conduct of the exercise was peaceful,” Ibrahim said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at least 5,000 corps members were deployed by the scheme to serve as polling officers during the conduct of the elections in the state.

    The NYSC director-general visited polling units across the 21 LGAs of the state to monitor and ensure the safety of corps members working in the areas.

    In an earlier interview with NAN, the NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations said that once corps members are sworn in for the one-year mandatory service, their security remains a top priority for the scheme.

    Adeyemi assured that proper arrangements have, therefore, been made to ensure the safety of corps members deployed for the Anambra governorship election.

    “The synergy between the NYSC and security agencies is always ongoing and quite effective. This synergy ensures that the security of corps members is maintained during the orientation, during the service year, and also on election duties.

    “NYSC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) interface regularly, before, during, and after an election,” Adeyemi said. (NAN)

  • Anambra Decides: SPO carts away 41 result sheets – Returning Officer

    Anambra Decides: SPO carts away 41 result sheets – Returning Officer

    Dr Gabriel Othong, the Returning Officer of the Idemili South Local Government Area says that 41 result sheets of the 42 result sheets for 89 polling units were carted away.

    Othong, who is from the University of Calabar in Cross River, made the disclosure while submitting results for the area.

    The Returning Officer alleged that the result sheets of the affected areas were carted away by the Supervising Polling Officer (SPO) posted to the area.

    According to him, there was no election in Oba Ward 1, Oba Ward 11 and Akukwu ward all in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra.

    “One of the SPOs carted 41 Result Sheets out of the 42 Result sheets meant for the 89 polling units in the affected wards.

    “Over 40, 000 voters were not able to vote in the affected areas due to the development,” he said.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Soludo leads in 10 Anambra LGAs

    The Returning Officer said some of the polling units did not get deployment of electoral officials due to cases of gunshots.

    Chief Ebere Obiakor, the agent of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said there was election in those places but the results were not collated.

    But Dr Alex Obiogbolu, the collation agent of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) countered the position of the APC agent, saying there was no election in any of the affected places.

    Sen. Victor Umeh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) corroborated Obiogbolu insisting there was no election in those area.

    Meanwhile, the result for the top three parties relaeses for Idemili South were APC- 1,036, APGA-2,312 and PDP-2,016.

    Idemili South Local Government Area has a total of 112, 652 out of which only 6, 622 voters were accredited.( NAN)

  • BREAKING: Soludo leads in 10 Anambra LGAs

    BREAKING: Soludo leads in 10 Anambra LGAs

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Prof Charles Soludo, has won in 10 of the 11 local governments declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) so far in the ongoing Anambra governorship poll.

    The candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, won in one of the local governments.

    But candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Andy Uba and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mr Valentine Ozigbo are yet to win in any of the results declared so far.

    Anambra has 21 local governments.

    YPP’s Ubah won in his Nnewi North local government area with 6485 votes while Soludo came second with 3368 votes. Ozigbo of PDP scored 1511 votes, while Uba of APC polled 1278 votes.

    Read Also: LIVE UPDATES: #AnambraDecides2021

    Soludo won Dunukofia with 4124 votes while APC came second with 1919 votes and PDP came third with 1680 votes.

    In Awka South, APGA scored 12,891 votes, PDP had 5498 and APC got 2595 votes.

    Also, in Oyi, APGA scored 6133 votes, PDP 2484 votes and APC scored 2830 votes.

    APGA won again in Anaocha, Peter Obi’s and Senator Uche Ekwunife’s local government area with 6911 while PDP scored 5108 votes and APC 2085 respectively.

    In Anambra East, APGA won with 9746 votes, APC got 2034 and PDP scored 1308.

    Soludo also defeated others in Ayamelum with 3424. PDP came second with 2804 while APC came third with 2409 votes.

    Soludo won in Idemili South with 2312 votes, Onitsha South with 4281 votes and the Njikoka, the local government of Anambra Deputy Governor Dr Nkem Okeke with 8803 votes and Orumba South with 4394 votes.