Obi’s APGA Sweeps Anambra Council Polls As Opposition Parties Allege Irregularities

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Sunday, January 12th, 2014

Ignatius Okpara, Awka

The ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA has won the chairmanship seats in 20 local government areas of Anambra state in Saturday’s council election conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC).

Gov Peter Obi of Anambra south-east Nigeria

Acting chairman of ANSIEC, Chief Sylvester Okonkwo, announced the results of the various council areas in Awka Sunday, despite complaints of alleged irregularities by some political parties.

The ANSIEC boss, in his announcement said the peoples Democratic party PDP won 12 councillorship seats in various wards across the state, the United Peoples Party, (UPP), clinched a seat while the Progressives Peoples Alliance also got one, leaving the remaining 304 wards to APGA.

He disclosed that there was no election in Nnewi North local government area, adding that the commission had concluded arrangement to hold the election in the area next Saturday.

Okonkwo however, did not give any reasons while election did not take place in the said council area.

He Said the Governor Peter led administration should be commended for transparency in elections in the state, saying Anambra is one of the states in Nigeria with several political parties in the State Assembly.

The acting chairman, also stated that the transparency in the council election manifested in the clinching of councillorship seats by other political parties.

He traced the history of the failure of local government election conduct from 1998 when the last one was held and said that the eventual conduct of the council polls signified the breaking of a major jinx in the state.

His words: “We are happy that no blood was shed, it is true that our people know how to talk, but they still maintain the sacredness of life and so no one raised a hand at the other.

“I only want to say that anyone who is aggrieved should not take laws into his hands, but should better go to court”, he advised

Meanwhile, there was a mild drama at the ANSIEC office, as scores of APC youths stormed the Commission Headquarters chanting solidarity songs for the gubernatorial candidate of the last governorship election in the state, Dr Chris Ngige, who had earlier ordered a boycott of the council polls by the opposition party.

Reacting to the result as announced by ANSIEC, the governorship candidate of Progressive people Alliance PPA, during the last gubernatorial election in the state, Chief Godwin Ezeemo, insisted that the results would not hold.

He alleged that there was no election in Aguata atea, and wondered where the commission got the result it announced for the council.

Ezeemo, recalled that in Umuchu ward 1 and 2 particularly, the electoral officer signed a pact with electorates accepting that there was no election in the wards, yet the commission went ahead and announced results of those wards. He stated