BEVERLY HILLS, CA, November 17, (THEWILL) – The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State, Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige, has rejected the result of the election even when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to conclude the collation of the result.
Consequently, he threatened that his party would challenge the eventual result of the election at the Election Tribunal.
But the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the people of Anambra State for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the poll. The party also commended President Goodluck Jonathan for providing adequate security and the enabling environment for credible, free and fair election in the state in spite of any perceived hitch(es).
Ngige, who, on Sunday, addressed newsmen at the Old English Hotel in Awka, the state capital, accompanied by the Director General of his campaign organisation, Chief George Muoghalu, also said he and his party would boycott Sunday’s repeat elections in the 65 polling units in Obosi Ward 1, Idemili-South Local Government Area,where election could not hold on Saturday due to late arrival of electoral materials.
The APC standard-bearer alleged that INEC conspired with the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state to dis-enfranchise his supporters by distributing electoral materials late to areas considered his strongholds. He also alleged that electoral materials were brought to such areas between 5-30pm and 6pm without the result sheets, and ,that by that period, all the voters had left the voting centres to their various homes.
Ngige listed some of the areas affected by the late distribution of electoral materials during the governorship election, some of which he claimed were his strong-holds, to include, Onotsha-North,Ogbaru,Nnewi-South and Anaocha, alleging further that his agents were even forced out of some of the polling centres and some of them manhandled.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the people of Anambra State for the peaceful and orderly conduct of last Saturday’s governorship election.
The party also commended President Goodluck Jonathan for providing adequate security and the enabling environment for credible, free and fair election in the state in spite of any perceived hitch(es).
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on Sunday said the party is satisfied that despite the massive importation of thugs and plots by APC to introduce violence to disrupt and rig the election, the process was conducted peacefully.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hereby commends President Goodluck Jonathan for providing adequate security and the enabling environment for the conduct of credible, free and fair governorship election in Anambra State last Saturday in spite of any perceived hitch(es)
“In the same vein, we commend the entire people of Anambra State and all stakeholders who played key roles in ensuring peaceful and orderly conduct of the process.
“While we now await the official result, we wish to express our satisfaction that the election was conducted without disturbances,despite the massive importation of political thugs by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as their heinous plots to introduce violence to disrupt and rig the poll having discovered that they have been rejected by the people.
“We also commend the candidate of our great party, Comrade Tony Nwoye, for his resilience, grass root appeal and credible outing which brought him to the forefront in the race despite having only two weeks to campaign. This is evident in the results so far released in which he roundly defeated the candidate of the APC who has been campaigning for four months before our candidate. The PDP is indeed happy with Comrade Tony Nwoye’s performance so far.
“While we charge all our members to continue to remain calm and focused, we wish to state that our final position on the election will be made known when the overall result is declared by INEC,” PDP said in the statement.
BY EMMA UCHE, AWKA
