By Cajetan Mmuta
Security has been tightened in parts of the Ihiala local government area of Anambra State following the scheduled supplementary Governorship election in the area.
This is as soldiers have barred the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Senator Victor Umeh from entering Ihiala Local Government headquarters.
The prevention of Senator Umeh from entering the council headquarters, ThisNigeria gathered, was on the order by an army commander securing the area with soldiers as the supplementary election began across the wards and polling units in the area.
Findings showed that an estimated 148, 407 registered voters from 20 wards are expected to cast their votes in 16 electoral booths for the candidates vying for the exalted number one seat at Agu Awka Government House in the state.
All eyes are on voters in Ihiala to determine the fate of Prof. Soludo and Ozigbo of the PDP.
It would be recalled that the November 6 governorship election in Anambra state was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday because the election did not hold in Ihiala local government area due to the nondeployment of election materials and ad-hoc staff to the on Saturday last week.
Senator Umeh is the state agent of the ruling APGA for the governorship election.
Umeh was said to have arrived at the Local Government headquarters at about 10:30 am in the company of other party members but was turned back by the army commander.
The army top shot was said to have told Senator Umeh that, “You are not supposed to be here” and that “You are a state agency, not an LGA agent.”
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At the moment, the APGA candidate in the election, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, is leading in the contest with 103,946 votes while Chief Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is behind with 51,322 votes.
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Andy Uba had called for the cancellation of the election alleging rigging and other malpractices.
However, the supplementary Poll is going on smoothly with a large turnout of voters and heavy presence of security agencies across the length and breadth of the local government area.
It is expected that the entire process will be concluded today when INEC blows the final whistle to declare the actual winner of the Governorship election.
