ANAMBRA ELECTION: APGA IN EARLY LEAD

SOURCE: LEADERSHIP

There are strong indications that the candidate of the ruling All
Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in Anambra State, Chief Willie
Obiano may emerge winner in Saturday's gubernatorial election in the...

State, even as candidates of the other major political parties in the
race have complained of irregularities during the polls.
According to reports of the election from across the State, the APGA
seems to be in the lead especially in the North Senatorial district
where the party's candidate Obiano, and his People's Democratic Party,
PDP, counterpart Comrade Tony Nwoye, hail from.
There are seven local government areas that make up the Anambra North
Senatorial zone, and APGA is reportedly leading in each local
government area in the zone.
According to reports, APGA is also said to be ahead of other political
parties in the Central Senatorial zone, where the incumbent governor
Mr. Peter Obi, and the party's national chairman, Chief Victor Umeh,
come from.
The party is said to be leading in Awka North, Awka South, Anaocha and
Njikoka local government areas within this senatorial district.
Meanwhile, election did not hold in some parts of Idemili North and
South local government areas both of which are within the Central
senatorial zone, and the stronghold of the candidate of the All
Progressives Congress,(APC), Senator Chris Ngige, following late
arrival of electoral materials in most of the polling units in the
area.
In the South Senatorial district, report of the gubernatorial election
showed that APGA at the time of filing this report had swept majority
of the votes in three out of the seven local government areas that
make up the State.
Although the gubernatorial election was generally peaceful in most of
the polling units visited by LEADERSHIP, there were cases of late
commencement of accreditation of voters in some polling units.
Also, the names of some prospective voters were missing in the voters
register, which made it impossible for those affected to cast their
votes.
For instance, in Uruezide polling unit in Alor ward 1, Idemili South
local government which is the polling unit of the APC governorship
candidate Senator Ngige, some of the prospective voters could not find
their names in the voter register, even though they had voters' card.
Mrs. Matilda Odinanwa complained that she was not allowed to vote
because in her name could not be found on the voters register in her
polling unit.
Similarly, the candidate of the PDP Comrade Nwoye, his father Nwabisi
and mother Christiana, along with many other prospective voters could
not exercise their civic duties at the Ofianta square polling unit
Nsugbe Ward 1, in Anambra East local government area in the North
senatorial district as their names could not be found in the register
of voters for the polling unit.
Meanwhile, Senator Ngige, has called on the INEC to cancel the
gubernatorial election, alleging irregularities in the polls,
including late arrival of electoral materials which he claimed was
deliberately orchestrated by the commission in collaboration with APGA
to shortchange him and his party in the election.
He alleged that INEC ad-hoc staff especially the National Youth
Service Corps members (NYSC) recruited to participate in the conduct
of the election boycotted the exercise because they were not paid
their allowances by the electoral commission.
When contacted, the image maker of the INEC in the State, Mr. Frank
Egbo, said that election was cancelled in only 67 polling units in
Obosi ward 1, Idemili North local government, adding that the election
will be repeated on Sunday.
Security was tight in the state during the governorship election as
most of the major roads where taken over taken over by the combined
team of military and mobile policemen who subjected even electoral
officials and journalists to a thorough screening before they were
allowed to pass through the various check-points.
The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mallam
Nasir el-Rufai, who had earlier arrived the State to man Senator
Ngige's 'Situation Room' was confined to his hotel in Awka, by the men
of the State Security Services, SSS, who allegedly refused him moving
round the State.