Anambra guber: INEC declares APGA’s Soludo winner in 17 LGAs, as voting continues

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chukwuma Soludo, winner in seventeen Local Government Areas out of the twenty one Local Government Areas of the State, even though voting continued yesterday, raising fears that the Commission may declare the poll inconclusive.

The results of the election were formally announced at the INEC state collation centre in Awka, Anambra State, on Sunday.

One local government was won by the PDP candidate (Valentine Ozigbo), while the candidate of the YPP, Ifeanyi Ubah, also won in one local government.

However, the collation officers for two local government areas (Ihiala and Orumba North) said at the INEC collation centre that elections did not hold in their local governments.

While Soludo leads his closest challenger, Ozigbo, with over 45,000 votes, Ihiala local government alone has over 148,000 registered voters.

In the result of Anambra West, which was announced by the INEC returning officer, Dr German Anagbogu, the APC got 1,233, PDP got 1,401 while APGA won with 1,918.

The collation was however adjourned for 40 minutes, after which the final result may be announced.

State returning officer and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi said: “We are going to discuss one of the local governments (Orumba North), then in Ihiala there was no election at all. We will take a break now and come back.”

However, inec said there was no election in Ihiala Local Government Area, as the Commission has reschedule the exercise for November 13, over irregularities.