The ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) took an early lead in the Anambra gubernatorial election held yesterday.
Early results show incumbent Governor Willie Obiano and his
APGA clinching victory in most of the polling units which results have been
announced since voting closed Saturday evening. With the All Progressives
Congress (APC) chasing by some margin and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
following closely behind. The election had proceeded without catastrophic
hitches that marred previous elections, earning the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies the praise of most of the
candidates and their parties. Residents of the state turned out in large
numbers in most of the polling units to cast their votes, disregarding calls
and threats by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IBOP) for people to
boycott the elections.
There had been
palpable tension and apprehension in the state ahead of the elections, following
series of threat statements by the pro-Biafra group. However, buoyant crowds
trooped quite early to the polling stations, voted and stayed to ensure that
their votes were counted. Most of them waited until results were announced at
their polling units before they left. However, the election was not entirely
without drama as Governor Obiano came under fire from election observers and
civil society groups for addressing the electorate at the Eri Primary School,
Unit 004, Otuocha 1, Aguleri, Anambra East, after he cast his votes at 10am
Saturday. The governor was said to have gone to the unit with a public address
system and addressed the electorate in what activists said was a clear
violation of the electoral laws.
Abiola Akiyode of
the Transition Monitoring Group, condemned the governor’s action describing it
as a “temptation” the governor should have avoided. “The most worrisome aspect
(of this election) is that the governor came with a microphone to address the people.
I think it is a sort of campaign. Since I have been observing, I have never
seen any governor go to that extent to talk to people on election day. I think
he should have avoided the temptation even if people are pushing him to do
something”, she said. However, while addressing journalists, the governor
expressed confidence in the process and his party’s ability to carry the day by
a landslide. Obiano who voted at about 9.57am after accreditation, complained
that the card reader could not capture his fingerprints, but said he was able
to vote eventually as his voter card was verified by the device.
He also expressed
satisfaction at the large turnout of voters, but noted that there were cases of
security lapses in few areas, assuring that the security agencies were on top
the situation. In areas
where Daily Trust correspondents monitored the polls, such as Umudim Ward
II in Umudim Central School, Nnewi North, APGA got 260 while APC
had 80. Also, at Uzoanunu Ward II in Anaocha Local Government, APGA scored 68
and APC received 8 votes. APGA also swept the votes in most polling centres at
Aguleri, Governor Willie Obiano’s stronghold. However, the APC was in
early lead in such places as Alor, Senator Chris Ngige’s home, Nsugbe - the
home of APC’s governorship candidate, Dr Tony Nwoye and Ukpo, the
hometown of Prince Arthur Eze, who is believed to have funded Nwoye’s campaign.
At Umudim
Central School, Nnewi North, the polling unit where the family of the late
Biafran leader and founder of APGA, Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu voted, there was
some expectation of drama following the defection of the late strongman’s son,
Emeka Ojukwu Jr, from APGA to the APC, with the façade of the Ojukwu family
residence plastered with the campaign poster of APC’s Victor Nwoye with
Ojukwu’s picture inserted. However the
last laugh belonged to Mrs, Bianca Ojukwu, widow of the late APGA chieftain,
who expressed joy over APGA’s triumph at the poling unit when the party
returned with 261 votes as opposed to the APC’s 98 and the PDP’s 80. But the
APC got one over the ruling party at Ekwueme Hall polling units of Ukpo,
Dunukofia LGA, home of Prince Arthur Eze, sponsor of the APC candidate where
the party secured 409 votes to APGA’s 102 and PDP’s 15.
Minister for
Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, also secured his polling unit for the
APC in Nkwoide ward 1 where the part scored 152 votes to APGA’s 68 and PDP’s
22. Specifically, at Nkwo Ide Public Square I polling centre at Alor,
Idemili North Local Government, APC scored 35 while APGA had 12 votes. APC also
received 104 votes while APGA got 35 at Ukpo Ekwueme Hall (I) in Dunukofia
Local Government Area. But while
Governor Obiano expressed satisfaction on the peaceful conduct of the election
and enjoined his supporters to come out en masse to vote, Dr Nwoye complained
that his agents were arrested at some polling booths. Former National Chairman of APGA, Chief
Victor Umeh, however, appealed to the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC)
to make sure that the results of the poll which the people “witnessed in the
day time will also be the same result the INEC should release in the
night.” Most of the polling units visited by our correspondents
recorded large turnout of voters, except in few places.
At Ezebe, Umuodu,
polling 007, for instance, voting started as early as 8:43am with voters
casting their votes. An eyewitness, Emmanuel Okoye, said, “For the moment, it
is going on fine but I cannot tell what may happen. I hope everything keeps on
moving fine”, he said. At Ebe Irunono Square 3, with, 004 polling, voting
commenced a bit late due to late arrival of election materials, which the
Presiding Officer attributed to transportation problems, while at Ovala Square
013 Polling Unit, Igbariam, Anambra East, witnessed card reader challenge. Osaeloka
Obaze, the PDP’s candidate in the election described the exercise as peaceful
which he said was gratifying but decried the low turnout in some areas.
No comments:
Post a Comment