Obiano

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as the winner of the November 18, 2017 gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

According to INEC’s Returning Officer in the election, Zana Akpagu, Obiano defeated the three other major candidates, Tony Nwoye of the All Progressives Congress (APC ), Obaze Oseloka of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Osita Chidoka of the United Peoples Party (UPP) to emerge victorious.

Akpagu who is also the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, said  the Governor garnered a total of 234,071 votes to finish well ahead of his closest rival, Tony Nwoye of the APC who got 98,752 votes while the PDP candidate, Obaze Oseloka amassed a total of 70,293 votes.

However, Oseloka Obaze of the PDP has rejected the results. In a statement released on Sunday, Obaze said the results as announced by INEC were not a true reflection of what actually happened on the field, citing inconsistencies and over-voting as compared with the records from electronic card readers.

Mr. Obaze further claimed that it was a political aberration that the APGA candidate could win in all the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.

The statement read in part: “The Anambra governorship election results just released by INEC, do not reflect the realities of the votes cast on November 18 by the Anambra electorate.

“The over-voting and inconsistencies between the counted ballots and card reader data remain exceedingly worrisome.

“The uniformity of the incumbent governor winning in all twenty-one local governments is a political aberration in the context of Anambra politics.

“The election result as reported, shows that nothing matters to the Anambra electorate. The people have spoken, they have taken a cursory long term view of what they wish for Anambra State.”