The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Willie Obiano, as the winner of Anambra governorship election.
After the supplementary election held on Saturday, November 30, in two local government areas where votes were cancelled, Obiano, scored total votes of 180, 178, the Chief Returning Officer and a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. James Epoke, declared.
The APGA candidate beat the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Mr. Tony Nwoye who polled a total of 97,700 votes and the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chris Ngige who scored 95,963 votes to second and third positions respectively. Mr. Ifeanyi Uba of the Labour Party came fourth with 37,495.
According to the Chief Returning Officer, the APGA candidate fulfilled the Electoral Act requirements by winning the majority of the votes cast, as well as scoring 25 per cent of the total votes cast in two thirds of the 14 local governments in the state.
The supplementary election was held in 210 polling units covering two local government areas of Idemili North and Onitsha South in the state.
Sequel to series of lapses noticed during the November 16 governorship election in the state, INEC declared the election inconclusive and ordered a supplementary election.
Justifying the call for supplementary election, Prof Epoke had said the voting population in the areas where election did not take place was large enough to make the second or third person defeat the leading candidate.
Prof Epoke, had said “The rule guiding this election is that for a winner to emerge, he must have majority of votes cast and the required spread of 25 per cent of votes in two thirds of the local government areas.
“We observed that due to many reasons, there were a lot of cancelled votes that made it difficult for a winner to emerge”.
It will be recalled that the APC leadership rejected supplementary election and called for outright cancellation and conduct of fresh election.
The opposition leaders also stormed the INEC headquarters in Abuja to protest the proposed supplementary election.
