INEC ORDERS SUPPLEMENTARY ELECTION IN 208 POLING UNITS

THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Monday declared
the November 16, 2013 governorship election in Anambra State
inconclusive and ordered supplementary election in 208 polling units
which have registered voters strength of 113,113, in parts of the
state.
The highest number of the repeat exercise would be held in Idemili
North local government area, which is the stronghold of the APC
candidate, Senator Chris Ngige where the election would be held in 160
polling units. The affected areas in the local government have
combined registered voters' population of 89,997.
INEC returning officer for the governorship election, Professor James
Epoke, who is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, said
the decision to order for supplementary election in such areas was
informed by the inability of the commission to conduct the exercise
there due to alleged electoral malpractices.
Other areas where the supplementary election would hold include three
poling units in Ayamelum local government (1247 voters), one poling
unit in Anambra East (250 voters), six units in Anambra West (2000
voters), one unit in Anaocha (276 voters), two units in Awka North
(1356 voters), one unit in Aguata (310 voters) and one unit in Awka
South (249 voters).
Others are three units in Ekwusigo (884 voters), two units in Idemili
South (800 voters), one unit in Onitsha North (484 voters), 17 units
in Onitsha South (12299 voters), four units in Orumba North (588
voters) and four units in Oyi (1202 voters).
According to Epoke, the supplementary election became necessary
because the number of registered voters in the cancelled polling units
would significantly affect the final scores of the candidates if
election was conducted in the affected areas. He, however, did not
give the date for the supplementary election.
Before taking the decision, the 21 collation officers for all the
local government areas of the state, who were all from the University
of Calabar, had announced the results of their assignment which showed
that the APGA candidate, Chief Willie Obiano scored a total of 174,
710 votes to place first, followed by the PDP candidate, Comrade Tony
Nwoye who polled 94,856 votes, while Senator Chris Ngige of APC polled
93,300 votes to place third.
Obiano also 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.
Umeh insists Obiano would win
The national chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, who was Obiano's
agent at the collation center, expressed optimism that his party would
ultimately carry the day, describing the development as a mere delayed
victory.
According to him, it would be difficult for any other candidate to
upstate APGA in view of the gap already given the other parties,
He said: "Some of the places affected by the supplementary election
were places where APGA won, adding that while other candidates would
be striving to meet his party, the party would also be garnering more
votes."
He also said that the supplementary election would prove whether the
number of voters often claimed to be in the register of voters is
actually authentic.
Vanguard recalls that the candidates of PDP, APC and LP had, at a
joint statement in Awka before the release of the result of the
election, called for total cancellation of the November 16, 2013 polls
in view of alleged massive irregularities that marred it.