INEC orders rerun in Anambra Central


•ACN rejects Kwara results
•PDP urges members to accept defeat
By Rotimi Akinwumi, (Abuja), Okey Maduforo (Awka) and Chukwujekwu Ilozue (Onitsha)

There will be a rerun vote in Anambra Central, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced – after a stalemate, despite an alleged offer of a N10 million bribe – in a slog mainly between Chris Ngige, the former Governor, and Dora Akunyili, the former Information and Communications Minister.

The announcement came on Monday just as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), Chris Uba, sought the cancellation of the ballot in the Senatorial District last Saturday, which is now in dispute.
The PDP has won two out of the three Senatorial zones in the state and five of the eight Federal Constituencies declared.

Uba said it is a fraud to withhold the election result in Anambra Central.

“To me, we really do not know what they are doing since last Saturday that the election was conducted. They have not announced the result. People voted, so what are they doing with the results? he wondered.

“They are supposed to tell us what happened to the result because we are an interested party in this enterprise.
“We have submitted our petition to the INEC that we do not know what is going on. At the collation centre, they refused to announce the result.

“They keep telling us one story or another, so we are calling for the cancellation of the election in Anambra Central so that we can go back to the field. I assure you that we shall take over Anambra Central as we did the North and South.”

The PDP celebrates the victory of John Emeka in Anambra North and Andy Uba in Anambra South.
However, Akunyili, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra Central, has lashed out at the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Chukwuemeka Onukaogu for picking Alex Anene as the Returning Officer.
Anene had accused Akunyili of offering him a bribe of N10 million, a duplex, a car, and scholarship for his children to falsely declare her winner.

But Akunyili countered on Monday by alleging that the police had earlier arrested Anene for wearing a fake monitoring tag.

Anene refused to announce the result on Sunday, saying it was mutilated and that APGA agents allegedly working for Akunyili assaulted him refusing to announce it in her favour.

A new Returning Officer, Charles Esimonye, was presented to the media on Monday at the state INEC headquarters in Akwa.

Results from wards and polling units had showed Ngige (Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN) leading with over 650 votes despite the alleged manipulation in Anaocha Council, home to both Governor Peter Obi and Akunyili.
But on Monday, Esimonye announced that Akunyili was leading with about 697 votes.

He then announced a rerun in some parts of Anaocha Council: Nimo Ward 1 to 3, Enugwu-ukwu 1, Nri 1 and 2, Obosi, and Umuoji.

There will also be a rerun in Nkpor in Idemili North and Umunnachi in Dunukofia.
Besides, Uzama Okpaleke, who contested for Ihiala Federal Constituency, urged the INEC not to reverse its decision to conduct a fresh election in the three wards where election was cancelled last Saturday.
No date has been fixed for all the rerun ballots.

Akunyili is leading Ngige by 697 votes, but still in play are 19,009 votes in the areas of rerun.
However, Ngige has rejected the plan, saying it should cover the entire Anaocha Council where no elections took place or the INEC should call on Anene to announce the result of last Saturday's vote.
He also rejected the appointment of Esimonye and demanded the removal of Onukaogu.

Apart from its complaint in Anambra, the ACN on Monday also rejected the results of the National Assembly (NASS) election in Kwara, alleging widespread malpractices.

A statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, said the party would challenge the results in court because of evidence of intimidation, using military personnel, lack of accreditation in certain areas, thuggery, and violence.

It alleged that the PDP hijacked soldiers on security duty to harass and intimidate opposition supporters in Ekiti and Oke Ero Councils.

‘’Also in Ifelodun and Isin areas, there was no accreditation in many polling units, while thuggery and violence masterminded by the PDP were the order of the day.

“Monetary inducements by the PDP were rampant, while cooked results were used to overturn what would have been a resounding defeat for the ruling party in the state,’’ the ACN alleged.

It denounced plans by “desperate PDP politicians” to co-opt Kwara traditional rulers into politics by alleging that the ACN would dethrone the Emir of Ilorin if its candidate wins the Governorship.

‘’We are astounded at how low some politicians can sink by employing downright lies and irresponsible scare tactics just to prevent what they can now see as the impending victory of the ACN in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Kwara.

‘’We condemn this cheap blackmail, being used as a last joker by drowning politicians who will clutch at anything, including mere straws, to escape the fate that is now inevitable.

“We in the ACN have nothing but the highest respect for the Emirate as well as the person of the Emir. Our candidate (Dele Belgore) is the most blue-blooded person ever to seek the office of Kwara State Governor, and cannot therefore be the one to preside over the dismantling of a much-cherished and highly-respected institution which he is proud to be associated with.”

Mohammed said it is particularly sad that the government is using a publicly-owned newspaper, financed by tax payers’ money, to spread such “despicable lies.”

But a conciliatory tone came on Monday from acting PDP National Chairman, Bello Mohammed, who urged the party’s defeated candidates to show maturity and respect the wishes of the people expressed through the ballot box.
He brushed aside the meeting of the ACN, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in their quest for a common Presidential candidate to defeat the PDP on April 16.

Mohammed told a press conference in Abuja that such an alliance which has not worked in the past will not work now, and even if it is brokered by Saturday, it will not be strong enough to stop the PDP candidate, Goodluck Jonathan.

He admitted that the foray of the opposition into states North and South rattled the PDP, but stressed that the party also won in some opposition strongholds.

Mohammed said the free and fair nature of the vote is a credit to the PDP government, especially Jonathan, who, despite being a candidate, allowed the INEC to do its job without interference.

His words: “We are delighted in the peaceful conduct of the elections except in a few places where some untoward happenings were recorded. But, by and large, the exercise has been generally adjudged a watershed in the electoral history of the country.

“On the upsets which the PDP recorded in some states, our party did very well in certain areas that were considered opposition strongholds. In such areas hitherto considered opposition areas, our party won.

“This confirms our oft-repeated stance that we will always do better where elections are free, fair and transparent.
“We are indeed delighted that despite some upsets that we recorded in certain areas, Nigerians are now satisfied that finally their votes will count. That, to me, is hope uplifted. The PDP government under Jonathan has fulfilled that promise.

“Also, in places where our party was not given any chance by bookmakers, we did very well, which goes to show, as we have always said, that our party stands to gain in a free, fair and transparent electoral process.

“This is why we subscribe to this electoral reform that Nigerians and the international community have started to applaud.

“On our candidates who lost in the elections, I urge them to be gallant and continue to keep faith with the party. We enjoin all our members, supporters and loyalists of the party to come out en masse on Saturday to vote for Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo.

“We urge our candidates who lost in the elections to emulate the good example of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola who, upon accepting defeat, went to congratulate the winners.

“Our politicians should heed the advice by the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnie Carson, that losers in the elections should be gracious in accepting defeat.
“This will go a long way in deepening the roots of democracy and promote stability in the country.”
Mohammed enthused that the Presidential ballot would be a walk-over for Jonathan, and rubbished the alliance talks in the opposition camp.

He explained that the PDP is not averse to such a union and is confident that the gang up will not work against the PDP, having been assured of support for Jonathan by about 45 of the 63 political parties.

He also condemned the bombings in Suleja and Maiduguri, saying such should be discouraged by all.

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