ANAMBRA: Nwoye, Ngige, Uba wants to boycott supplementary election

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday ordered fresh polls in 208 polling units in Anambra State allegedly affected by malpractice in the weekend gubernatorial election in the state.

The three major candidates that ran against the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA’s Willie Obiano, however, demurred and threatened to boycott the supplementary elections as they insisted on total cancellation of the Saturday election which they alleged was completely marred by irregularities.

APGA National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, nevertheless insisted that the party’s chances of retaining its hold on the Government House would not be affected by the fresh polls whenever held.

The boycott of the major candidates came as INEC, yesterday, commenced disciplinary action against the officer for Idemili North Local Government Area who INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega accused of sabotaging the election in the area. The officer who has been apprehended by the police was yesterday on his way to Abuja from Enugu under protective escort of the police.

Meanwhile, INEC has said it was yet to decide on a date for the supplementary election in the 208 polling units where it claimed that there were infractions last weekend.

The returning officer for the election, Professor James Epoke while announcing the results of the contest had, yesterday, declared the election inconclusive. The returning officer said that the runner-up, Comrade Tony Nwoye of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Senator Chris Ngige who came third after the weekend voting each could displace Willie Obiano of the All Progressive Grand Alliance who topped the voting if the cancelled ballots were taken into consideration.

At the end of the weekend voting, Epoke had placed APGA’s Obiano in the first position with 174, 710 votes, followed by the PDP’s candidate, Nwoye who polled 94,856 votes, and Senator Ngige of APC who polled 93,300 votes to place third.

Obiano won in 16 of the 21 local government areas, while Nwoye and Ngige won in two local government areas each.

The APGA candidate won in Aguata, Ayamelum, Anambra East, Anambra West, Anaocha, Awka North, Awka South, and Ekwusigo. He also won in Ihiala, Njikoka, Nnewi South, Ogbaru, Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Orumba North and Orumba South.

The PDP candidate won in Dunukofia and Oyi, while the APC candidate won in Idemili North and Idemili South.

The returning officer, however, failed to declare a date for the supplementary election.

Vanguard.