By Cajetan Muta
More results of the Governorship election held on Saturday, November 6 on Anambra state has been released by the Independent National Electoral Commission with complete cancellation of results in two Orumba North and Ihiala local government area of the state.
Also, indications emerged that votes were canceled virtually in a substantial number of polling units in most of the local government areas across the state due to various forms of irregularities and malfunctioning BImodal Accreditation System (BVAS) during the election on Saturday and Sunday.
This is as chairman of the APC in the state, Chief Basil Ejidike raised the alarm over the outcome of the poll and called for total cancellation of the entire process.
He said, “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.”
Ejidike said, “The candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the sitting Governor Willie Obiano manipulated the whole electoral system and we’ll stand to resist it.”
The results of 20 out of 21 local government areas had so far been released while results of two local government areas were canceled due to violence.
This is as the Collation Officer in charge of Orumba North disclosed that he was coerced to sign the result sheet under duress and abducted by suspected political thugs who in collaboration with the Electoral Officer (EO) Dr. Oluyemi to locked him in a toilet after they forced him to sign the result sheets.
However, results of the election held in Aguata local government area indicated that APC polled 4773, APGA -9136, PDP -3798, YPP-1070.
In Onitsha North LGA: APC -3909, APGA -5587, PDP -3781, and YPP -682 votes.
In Orumba South LGA; APC – 2060, APGA -4394, PDP -1672, YPP- 887, and ZLP – 10.
Ogbaru LGA has APC -1178, APGA -3051, PDP -3454, YPP -484, and ZLP -43 votes while Onitsha North APC has 3909, APGA -5587 votes, PDP -3781 votes, YPP -68,2, and ZLP 104 votes.
In Aguata LGA the APC scored 4773 votes, APGA -9136, PDP -3798, YPP -1070, and ZLP -120 votes. In the Ihiala local government area with a total of 148407 registered voters, there was no election and in Idemili North LGA, APC polled 2291 votes, APGA -5358, PDP- 2312, YPP- 902, and ZLP -649.
At Ekwusigo LGA; APC scored 1237, APGA- 2570, PDP -1857, YPP-727, and ZLP -13 votes while in New South LGA, the APC polled 1307, APGA-3243, PDP -2226, YPP- 1327, and ZLP -33 votes.
In addition, Awka North recorded APC with 755 votes, APGA – 1908, PDP -840, YPP- 840, and ZLP – 47 votes while in Anambra East the APC polled 1233 votes, APGA- 1918, PDP -1401, YPP -357, and ZLP – 31 Votes.
However, in all the results released, APGA won in 17 local government areas, YPP in one LGA, and PDP in one local government area respectively.
Also, In Orumba North LGA, there was no election following the confusion between the Returning Officer and the Electoral Officer, police, and suspected political thugs which led to the cancellation of results of the poll in the area.
In Abate, there was reported snatching of electoral materials which led to the cancellation of elections in the area. In Ukiah, there was reported poor deployment of materials which promoted the people to insist that except the electoral materials were completed they would not cast their votes in the election.
Also, in Umuchi, the BVAS malfunctioned while there was confusion in Ideani while there was no election in Nkpor and Obosi one and two as well as Oraukwu.
A total of 47 polling units with a total of 24107 registered voters were affected by the cancellation exercise.
In Orumba North, Dr. John Edong the chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, and his team were mandated to review and collate the results of the election conducted in the area and forward the outcome to the INEC.
This followed the confusion that engulfed the conduct of the election in the LGA wherein Dr. Michael Otu had a misunderstanding with the EO, Dr. Omoruye over the Collation of results and conduct of the election in the area.
Dr. Michael Otu, a Senior lecturer in the Faculty of Law and Head of Department of Industrial and Commercial Law at the University of Calabar had accused the EO, Dr. Omoruye of alleged collaboration with unnamed policemen and suspected thugs in a plot to rig the process which to alleged plan to kill him.
He said, “I signed the result sheet under duress and caution and I don’t believe in it. I was teargassed and surrounded by thugs with knives and I was locked in a toilet and prevented me from having access to malfunctioned BVAS”.
Continuing he said, “I could not go out to ease myself. I surrendered to their orders because I found out that my life was u see a threat.”
But in a counter-reaction, Dr. Omoruye said Dr. Otu lacked the knowledge about the conduct of elections and has never had experience on how to collate results.
According to her, “The man does not know his right from his left.
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However, the APC state chairman said, “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 government but Willie Obiano and Charles Soludo through instrumentality corrupt-minded INEC officers subverted the whole process in favor of APGA.”
“We want INEC to cancel the election and fix a date for a fresh election devoid of manipulations and malpractices. But if INEC goes ahead to announce the results, we will challenge the election process at the court of law, up to Supreme Court. Nobody can intimidate us.”
