Anambra poll: Protests as Obiano maintains lead

Women protesting alleged irregularities and disenfranchisement during the Anambra State governorship election in Awka ... on Sunday.

About  200 women from the 21 local government areas  in  Anambra State on Sunday protested the conduct of    Saturday’s  governorship election   in the state.

They said  the election was not credible and called for  its cancellation  and conduct of a fresh one.

The  women, who  carried leaves , expressed their disappointment with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

They rolled repeatedly on the road leading to the INEC office   chanting , “Jega has failed us,’ and   ‘He should resign or be removed.”

A combined team of police officers and soldiers resisted their attempts to gain entry into the INEC premises.

Infuriated ,  the women,   who gathered  at Arroma Junction and  marched through  the Alex Ekwueme,     rained abuses on the  policemen and soldiers.

Spokesperson  for  the protesters, Mrs. Angela Akukalia, said many  people   were disenfranchised as their names were not found on the  voter  registers.

She said, “The election materials were not even available in most polling units across the state.

“In areas where they were available, they arrived so late and by then, most people had gone home.

“Even the rescheduled election in Idemili North was fixed on a Sunday when most people go to church and would not  be  around to vote.

“This was a scientific way to rig the  election. Jega has failed us. He has shown he is not capable.”

 She added that the “election should be cancelled because it is beyond Idemili North’’  where the rerun poll in 65 polling units  held on Sunday.

Before the protest by the women, three   candidates for  the  election  closed ranks to kick against the conduct of the  exercise  that  their All Progressives Grand Alliance  counterpart, Chief Willie Obiano, was leading in 20 councils as of  Sunday evening.

The candidates – Senator Chris Ngige of the All Progressive Congress, Tony Nwoye, Peoples Democratic Party; and  Ifeanyi Ubah, Labour Party, at a joint press conference in Awka,  called on INEC  to stop further announcement of the results   because  of alleged widespread irregularities.

They claimed that the  conduct of rerun election in some polling units in Idemili North Local Government Area was a waste of time.

“They can do any amount of voting they like. But subject to consultations with the leadership of our parties, no result should be announced.  A word is enough for the wise,”  Ngige, Nwoye and Ubah said in a five-page statement.

  They insisted that    fraudulent practices and massive irregularities that greeted the election  on Saturday  had made it  to fall substantially below the requirements of the Electoral Act.

They said the parties were deceived by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who told  them  on Wednesday that the voter   register was perfect .

The candidates also alleged massive security lapse, which gave room for the intimidation of their supporters and agents.

They further alleged that there was a massive deployment of Anambra State government funds in all the polling units to buy votes.

Their statement added, “Some of the voters were paid as much as N10,000.

“Having noted these points and having noted the compromising stance of INEC officials, we have come to the inevitable conclusion that this commission (INEC) is determined to go back to its old ways.”

- Rerun poll boycotted

They had before briefing journalists announced that they had  boycotted the rerun election in  in 65 wards in Idemili North on Sunday.

The election was cancelled in the   wards because election materials  could not be delivered there on Saturday, the day   of the poll.

 INEC  deferred declaration of all the finals  result until  those of the  rerun  were  collated.

As of 12 midnight, electoral officers were seen arriving at the INEC office in Awka.

One of them told The PUNCH that the final result might not be ready until 3 am.

Ngige and Nwoye had earlier on Sunday morning also complained about the conduct of the poll and called for its cancellation.

While the APC candidate  had the backing of the national leadership of his party, Nwoye seemed to be acting alone as the PDP headquarters  said  it was satisfied with the conduct of the election.

- APGA praises election conduct

APGA  however praised the conduct of the election and said INEC had fulfilled its promise to make  it the best   ever.

“We are satisfied with the way INEC has conducted this exercise so far. We are thoroughly satisfied with the conduct of the security agencies,” the National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, said.

Umeh accused those that have questioned the credibility of the election of not being agents of the truth.

He added that they    were  complaining because it had become clear to them that they would lose.

On the allegations that APGA rigged the process with INEC, Umeh said, “We  will never rig election in this state. We believe in due process. We believe in the rule of law.”

- Poll fell below standard–Situation room

But,  the Nigeria Civil Society Election Situation Room, a coalition of 40 civil society organisations that monitored the election,   said it  fell short of standards.

 In a statement   on Sunday,  the organisation  noted   that poor deployment of logistics,   materials, and  incompetence of many polling officials contributed to the  problems that affected the poll.

 The  statement  by the leader of the group, Mr. Tunji Lardner, added,   “INEC’s conduct of the governorship election in Anambra State poses serious concerns ahead of the 2015 general elections and the Situation Room calls on INEC to change its strategy with a view to improving on its preparations for the 2015 elections.”

PUNCH