Anambra Decides 2021: Live Updates as INEC Resumes Official, Final Collation of Results in Awka
Tuesday, November 9, is here as various political parties in Anambra state get ready for the supplementary election in Ihiala local government area after it was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday, November 8.
The outcome of this election will decide who emerges as the eventual winner and the governor of the southeastern state for at least the next four years.
At the moment, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)'s candidate, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has claimed 18 out of the 20 LGAs where results have been collated and announced.
However, Valentine Ozigbo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s candidate, has expressed certainty that he can still win the election.
All the candidates will have to battle for not less than 148,000 votes that are supposed to come from the same number of registered voters in the LGA.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Soludo of APGA is the winner!
It's official! Charles Soludo of APGA is the winner of the Anambra governorship election 2021.
Declaration of winner
"This is the moment we have been waiting for," Professor Obi.
The returning officer thanked the chairman of INEC for giving her and her university the opportunity to participate in the election.
She also thanked Ndi Anambra, security agents and other stakeholders.
She read the names of the candidates and the votes they scored again.
Anambra Decides: The Top 4
Registered Voters - 2,466,638
Accredited Voters - 253,388
Voter turnout - 10.3%
APGA - 112,229
PDP - 53,807
APC - 43,285
YPP - 21,261
Total Valid Votes— 241,523
Rejected Votes— 8,108
Total Votes Cast— 249,631
Agents of participating parties called to sign the results
Agents of the 18 political parties are being called alphabetically to sign the final results.
Many agents including that of the APC are not there.
APGA's agent and a few others are, however, on ground to sign the result.
After the signing, copies of the results are presented to the party agents.
Final results
Registered voters - 2,466,638
Accredited voters - 253,388
A - 2,054
AA - 83
AAC - 588
ADC - 324
ADP - 773
APC - 43,285
APGA - 112,229
APM - 301
APP - 139
BP - 186
LP - 2,802
NNPP - 117
NRM - 213
PDP - 53,807
PRP - 437
SDP - 842
YPP - 21,261
ZLP - 2,082
Total valid votes - 241,523
Rejected votes - 8,108
Total votes cast - 249,631
Returning officer's turn
She says she will add the results from Ihiala to the ones previously collected and announced to know the parties' final total scores.
Ihiala LGA: Soludo wins
Registered Voters— 148,361
Accredited Voters — 12,298
A— 261
AA— 07
AAC— 08
ADC— 11
ADP— 30
APC— 343
APGA— 8,283
APM— 13
APP— 06
BP— 13
LP— 105
NNPP— 06
NRM— 06
PDP— 2,485
PRP— 09
SDP— 60
YPP— 344
ZLP— 12
Total Valid Votes— 12,002
Rejected Votes— 267
Total Votes Cast— 12,269
Professor Obi speaking
She welcomes the INEC officials from Ihiala LGA, calls on the collation officer and the electoral officer to present the result.
INEC officials from Ihiala LGA arrive collation centre
INEC officials from Ihiala LGA have arrived the collation centre with the results.
One-hour break
Professor Florence Obi, the returning officer, announces a one-hour break while the results from Ihiala LGA are being awaited.
Action shifts to INEC's collation centre in Awka
Victor Umeh, senator representing Anambra central and the state agent for APGA in the governorship election, arrives at the collation centre in Awka.
Collation of results resumes 9pm in Awka
Nkwachukwu Orji, INEC's resident electoral commissioner for the state, says the collation of results for the Anambra state governorship election will resume at pm at the State Collation Centre, INEC State Office, along House of Assembly Road, Awka.
Deputy speaker speaks after voting
Deputy speaker of Anambra state House of Assembly Hon. Pascal Agbodike commends the peaceful conduct of the election in Ihiala local government area.
He speaks after casting his votes at at. St. Augustine College Mbosi ward 20, polling unit 006.
Sorting and counting of votes begins
Sorting and counting of votes have started at the polling units in Uzokwa Ward.
Police, IPOB exchange gunshots
A joint team of security operatives engaged in a gun battle with criminals suspected to be members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Ihiala, Anambra, on Tuesday, November 9.
According to The Nation, the battle which lasted for hours occurred at Mbosi Osumowu junction.
One of the officers was heard warning a motorist:
“We’ve been here for the past three hours exchanging fire with them. You better reverse and take a safer route."
This is one of the incidents that disrupted the governorship election in the local government area, leading to the shift by INEC.
Police deny alleged soldiers’ killing in Ihiala LGA
The police command in Anambra has denied reports that said a man yet to be identified was killed in Ihiala local government area while the election was going on.
It was claimed that some soldiers patrolling around the distribution/Collation Centre at the Council Area Headquarters allegedly shot dead the unknown individual.
The public relations officer, Zone 13 Police Headquarters, Nkeiru Nwode, said the report is false, The Nation reports.
Source: UGC
She said:
“We don’t have such report and I don’t think something like that happened."
Voting begins at PU 010, Okija Ward 2
Voting exercise is ongoing at Ezieke Primary School, Polling Unit 010, Okija Ward 2, Ihiala LGA.
Source: UGC
Voting yet to begin in parts of Ihiala after 4 hours
Inadequate logistic planning is seriously affecting the Anambra supplementary governorship election in Ihiala LGA.
As at noon Tuesday, November 9, voting is yet to commence in many parts of the local government area.
It is over four hours away from the scheduled time for the election (10am) as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday, November 8.
Source: UGC
Daily Trust reports that ad-hoc INEC officials were seen at the Ihiala LGA secretariat trying to convey materials meant for their polling units.
Anambra Deputy Speaker Patrick Agbodike casts his vote
The deputy speaker of the Anambra state House of Assembly, Patrick Agbodike, has cast his vote at PU10, RA 20, Mbosi.
Source: UGC
At last voting begins at Uzokwa Ward 3
After much waiting and delay, voting has finally begun peacefully across polling units in Uzokwa Ward 3.
Source: UGC
No INEC official at Uzokwa ward 3 by 11:53am
At 11: 53, no INEC official has been seen at Abobot Girls Secondary School, Uzokwa Ward 3 where there are about 20 polling units.
Eager voters have gathered at the secondary school which is not far from Ihiala LGA HQ.
Source: UGC
Accreditation of voters yet to start in the Ihiala supplementary guber at 11:05 am
As at 11:05am on Tuesday, November 9, the accreditation of voters was yet to start in the Ihiala supplementary governorship poll, The Nation reports.
At 11:30am, the distribution of election materials is still ongoing at the Ihiala LGA secretariat. The election is now over 1 hour, 30 minutes behind INEC's schedule, The Cable added.
APGA chieftain sent out of Ihiala LGA HQ by soldiers
A chieftain of APGA, Victor Umeh, who arrived at the LGA headquarters with other party members, was turned back by the general officer commanding 82 Division, The Cable reports.
The GOC who said he wants things to go well told Umeh:
"You are not supposed to be here.”
Source: UGC
INEC deploys officials to Ihiala LGA
INEC has deployed its officials to Ihiala LGA for the commencement of the supplementary election which is expected to have begun by 10am.
The Cable reports that some election materials are yet to be distributed while ad hoc officials wait at different polling units.
However, the distribution of election materials and deployment of INEC officials are in progress at Ihiala LGA HQ.
Naturally, security has been beefed up as armed Nigerian Army soldiers and policemen are stationed at strategic positions.
Source: UGC
Onyirioha Nnamdi Onyirioha Nnamdi is a graduate of Literature and English Language at the University of Lagos. He is a Politics/Current Affairs Editor who writes on news and political topics for Legit.ng. He brings into his reporting a wealth of experience in creative and analytical writing. Nnamdi has a major interest in local and global politics. He has a professional certificate from Reuters and was awarded the editor with the best listicle for 2021. Contact: 08062988054, o.nnamdi@corp.legit.ng
Nurudeen Lawal (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) Nurudeen Lawal is an AFP-certified journalist with a wealth of experience spanning over 8 years. He received his B/Arts degree in Literature-in-English from OAU. Lawal is the Head of the Politics/CA Desk at Legit.ng, where he applies his expertise to provide incisive coverage of events. He was named the Political Desk Head of the Year (Nigeria Media Nite-Out Award 2023). He is also a certified fact-checker (Dubawa fellowship, 2020). Contact him at lawal.nurudeen@corp.legit.ng or +2347057737768.
