By Emma Ogbuehi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is set to conclude the Anambra governorship election with an outstanding ballot in Ihiala local government area. Election could not take place in the council on Saturday, due to non-deployment of election materials.
So far, election had been concluded in 20 out of the 21 local government areas in the state. Of the results declared, the candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof Chales Soludo is leading with 103,946, followed by Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with 51,322. The candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Andy Uba, scored 42,942.
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In rescheduling the election, INEC argued that the 148,000 registered voters in Ihiala and 42,000 PVCS collected, it was not possible to pronounce any of the candidates an outright winner. The council has 323 polling units, making the contest keen among the three candidates.
Against initial fears, the Anambra election recorded huge voter turn-out, following a release by the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) that its decision to lockdown the South East region for seven days, beginning November 5, had been lifted.
The group, which had used force to enforce its earlier sit-at home protests in the South-east, had declared the sit-at-home in Anambra to discourage residents from taking part in the November 6 governorship election in the state.
The sit-at-home, which had been condemned by political leaders in the South-east, was meant to commence on Friday, a day to the election.
However, IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, in a statement Thursday evening said the sit-at-home had been cancelled.
The statement read in part: “Following the genuine intervention of our elders, esteemed traditional Institutions /Rulers and Religious Leaders, and after a due consideration of the positive impacts of their engagement, and sequel to the fact that our elders have spoken in our terms, the leadership of IPOB ably lead by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu hereby and immediately calls off the one week sit-at-home earlier declared to commence tomorrow, November 5 to November 10, 2021,” he wrote.
A total of 18 parties took part in the Anambra governorship election on Saturday.
IPOB did not, however, declare support for any of the candidates.
