…Shifts Election In Ihiala To Nov 13 Over Alleged Irregularities
…As Ad-hoc Staff Absconds With Result Sheets
Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance has garnered more votes than his main challengers in Saturday’s governorship election, winning all the 16 out of 18 local government areas results announced so far by the electoral office INEC. The state has 21 local government areas and the candidates of APC and PDP are the runners-up so far.
Mr Soludo, 61, has been locked in a close contest with Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress, Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party and Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressives Party. The candidates are seeking to replace Governor Willie Obiano, the only APGA governor in the country.
Mr Obiano supported Mr Soludo during the primaries and pulled resources that aided his ardent campaign against candidates of the two biggest political parties, APC and PDP.
The 18 LGAs so far announced are Onitsha South, Ndemili South, Anyamelum, Oyi, Dunukofia, Awka South, Aguata, Anaocha, Orumba North, Orumba South, Njikoka, Idemili North, Onitsha North, Ogbaru, Nnewi North and Anambra East. Voting will, however, be allowed to continue on Sunday across polling units where delays were forced by widespread voting machine malfunctions.
PDP and YPP have won a local government area each.
From announced results, APGA scored 96,916; PDP scored 46,862; and APC scored 39,667.
Meanwhile,INEC, has announced the postponement of the governorship election in Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State, following alleged irregularities discovered in most communities in the council area.
The announcement was made during collation on Sunday by the officer in charge, Ahmadu Umar.
According to Umar, there were 148,407 registered voters in the LGA, yet there was no election in the council area on Saturday due to the activities of some politicians who tried to rig the election.
The exercise has been rescheduled to hold on Saturday, November 13, 2021, as the INEC official warned trouble makers to steer clear of all the venues where the election will hold in the Ihiala Council area.
Recall that the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C Don Adinuba, had alleged that a politician in the area and his group had tried to rig the election.
He noted that some of the hoodlums have been arrested by security agents in the area.
In the meantime, (INEC) ad hoc staff has absconded with 41 result sheets in Oba 1, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra state.
The Local Government Collation Officer, Gabriel Odoh said this on Sunday while presenting the result of the Local Government Area at the collation center in INEC Headquarters, Awka, the state capital.
“In Oba 2 one of the ad-hoc staff carted away 41 result sheets out of the 42 and that is why election did not hold,” Mr Odoh said while explaining why election did not hold in the area.
Although Mr Odoh did not give the name of the ad-hoc staff, he disclosed that the staff was the Supervising Polling officer.
He also explained that violence and ballot box snatching were recorded in Oba 1 area.
Announced results:
1. Aguata LGA
APC: 4,773
APGA: 9,136
PDP: 3,798
2. Awka South LGA
APC: 2,595
APGA: 12,891
PDP: 5,489
3. Anambra East LGA
APC: 2,034
APGA: 9,746
PDP: 1,380
4. Onitsha South LGA
APC: 2,050
APGA: 4,281
PDP: 2,253
5. Orumba North LGA
APC: 2,692
APGA: 4,826
PDP: 1,863
6. Orumba South LGA
APC: 2,060
APGA: 4,394
PDP: 1,672
7. Anaocha LGA
APC: 2,085
APGA: 6,911
PDP: 5,108
8. Ekwusigo LGA
APC: 1,237
APGA: 2,570
PDP: 1,857
9. Dunukofia LGA
APC: 1, 991
APGA: 4,124
PDP: 1,680
10. Oyi LGA
APC: 2,830
APGA: 6,133
PDP: 2,484
11. Ayamelum LGA
APC: 2,409
APGA: 3,424
PDP: 2,804
12. Idemili South LGA
APC: 1,039
APGA: 2,312
PDP: 2,016
13. Njikoka LGA
APC: 3,216
APGA: 8,803
PDP: 3,409
14. Nnewi North LGA
APC: 1,278
APGA: 3,369
PDP: 1,511
YPP: 6,485
15. Ogbaru LGA
APC: 1,178
APGA: 3,051
PDP: 3,445
16. Onitsha North LGA
APC: 3,909
APGA: 5,587
PDP: 3,781
17. Idemili North LGA
APC: 2,291
APGA: 5,358
PDP: 2,312
18. Nnewi South LGA
APC: 1,307
APGA: 3,243
PDP: 2,226
YPP: 1,327