Anambra: Ohanaeze commends INEC, Buhari; congratulates Obiano; Oseloka, PDP candidate, rejects result

Anambra: Ohanaeze commends INEC, Buhari; congratulates Obiano; Oseloka, PDP candidate, rejects result

Chief Nnia Nwodo, President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, a socio cultural organisation of Igbos has congratulated Chief Willie Obiano for his victory in the just concluded Anambra governorship election.

Nwodo, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Sunday also congratulated Obiano’s opponents for a healthy and competitive encounter.

The president-general urged Obiano to put the campaign rhetoric apart and extend his hand of fellowship to his opponents.

He urged the rest of Igbos to copy Anambra example and see politics as a healthy game.

Nwodo commended President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping to his word to ensure a free and fair election.

“The fact that all the political parties and the Anambra people came out to vote is most commendable.

“The security personnel deserve congratulations for the secure atmosphere in which the election was held.“INEC, so far, appeared transparent and must be given a pat on the back,’’ he said.

Obiano  polled 234,071 votes to defeat 36 other candidates in the election held on Nov. 18 in the state.

Meantime, Mr Oseloka Obaze, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has rejected the result of Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra.

Obaze, in a statement on Sunday, said the result as released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not reflect what happened in the field.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Zana Akpagu, said Obiano polled 234, 071 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Tony Nwoye of All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 98, 752 votes.

Akpagu, the Vice Chancellor of University of Calabar, said the PDP candidate, Mr Oseloka Obaze, came third with 70,293 votes.

He said that the total valid votes cast at the poll was 422,314; total number of rejected votes, 26,457 while the total votes cast was 448,771 votes.

Obaze said there were cases of inconsistency and over voting when compared with the records from the electronic card reader.

He also said it was an aberration that APGA could win all the 21 local governments.

“The Anambra governorship election results just released by INEC, does not reflect the realities of the votes cast on Nov. 18 by the Anambra electorate.

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

“The uniformity of the incumbent governor wining 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 fo Anambra State.”