Why INEC declared Anambra governorship election inconclusive

Nigeria’s Electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended collation of results of the November 6 governorship election in Anambra, pending the conduct of the election in Ihiala Local Government Area.

Prof. Florence Obi, INEC Returning Officer for the Anambra Governorship election made the announcement Sunday night in Awka.

Ms Obi, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Cross River, announced that the election would be conducted in Ihiala on Tuesday, November 9.

She explained that election could not hold in the LGA due to security reasons.

Quoting relevant sections of the Electoral Act and the nation’s constitution, Ms Obi said it would be wrong to announce the result without allowing people in 131 polling units in Ihiala to exercise their civic duties.

According to her, it becomes imperative to bring Ihiala at par with other local government areas to make declaration of the result.

“As the Electoral Officer, I hereby announce the suspension of result until elections are held in all the polling units in Ihiala.

“Supplementary election will take place in the area on November 9,” she disclosed.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that before suspending collation, Ms Obi had given total number of votes already scored by candidates.

She said that Prof. Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) polled a total of 103, 946 votes followed by Mr Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who scored 51,322 votes to emerged second.

Andy Uba, the All Progressives Congress, APC candidate got a total of 42,942 votes to emerge the third position.

Ms Obi said that Mr Soludo won in 18 out of the 20 Local Government Areas of the State already declared.

Ms Obi listed the areas where Soludo won to include; Dunukofia, Awka South, Oyi, Anaocha, Ayamelum, Anambra East, Idemili South and Onitsha South.

She also stated that the APGA candidate also won in Njikoka, Orumba South, Onitsha North, Idemili North, Ekwusigo, Aguata, Orumba North and Nnewi South Local Government Areas.

The PDP candidate won in Ogbaru with 3,445 votes, APGA scored second while APC came third in the same council.

Ifeanyi Uba of the Young Progressive Party, YPP, won in his home Local Government, Nnewi North in spite of coming a distant fourth in the overall score card with 20,917 votes.

The returning officer said that no election held in Ihiala must be given chance like others to participate in the process.

Ms Obi stated that total number of valid votes already collated was 229,521, void votes 7,841 while total number of votes cast was 237,362.

She praised all parties for their support, noting that supplementary election would be held only in Ihiala.

Quoting relevant sections of the Electoral Act, she noted that Section 22 of the Constitution provides for re-run in event of security challenge.

She said that the final result will be announced after completing the election in Ihiala.

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