ANAMBRA GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION; APGA IN EARLY LEAD

There are strong indications that the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano may emerge winner in Saturday's gubernatorial election in the State, even as candidates of the other major political parties in the race have complained of irregularities during the polls.
According to reports of the election from across the State, the APGA seems to be in the lead especially in the North Senatorial district where the party’s candidate Obiano, and his People’s Democratic Party, PDP, counterpart Comrade Tony Nwoye, hail from.
There are seven local government areas that make up the Anambra North Senatorial zone, and APGA is reportedly leading in each local government area in the zone.
According to reports, APGA is also said to be ahead of other political parties in the Central Senatorial zone, where the incumbent governor Mr. Peter Obi, and the party’s national chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, come from.
The party is said to be leading in Awka North, Awka South, Anaocha and Njikoka local government areas within this senatorial district.
Meanwhile, election did not hold in some parts of Idemili North and South local government areas both of which are within the Central senatorial zone, and the stronghold of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress,(APC), Senator Chris Ngige, following late arrival of electoral materials in most of the polling units in the area.
In the South Senatorial district, report of the gubernatorial election showed that APGA at the time of filing this report had swept majority of the votes in three out of the seven local government areas that make up the State.
Also, the names of some prospective voters were missing in the voters register, which made it impossible for those affected to cast their votes.
For instance, in Uruezide polling unit in Alor ward 1, Idemili South local government which is the polling unit of the APC governorship candidate Senator Ngige, some of the prospective voters could not find their names in the voter register, even though they had voters’ card.
Mrs. Matilda Odinanwa complained that she was not allowed to vote because in her name could not be found on the voters register in her polling unit.
Similarly, the candidate of the PDP Comrade Nwoye, his father Nwabisi and mother Christiana, along with many other prospective voters could not exercise their civic duties at the Ofianta square polling unit Nsugbe Ward 1, in Anambra East local government area in the North senatorial district as their names could not be found in the register of voters for the polling unit.
Meanwhile, Senator Ngige, has called on the INEC to cancel the gubernatorial election, alleging irregularities in the polls, including late arrival of electoral materials which he claimed was deliberately orchestrated by the commission in collaboration with APGA to shortchange him and his party in the election.
He alleged that INEC ad-hoc staff especially the National Youth Service Corps members (NYSC) recruited to participate in the conduct of the election boycotted the exercise because they were not paid their allowances by the electoral commission.
When contacted, the image maker of the INEC in the State, Mr. Frank Egbo, said that election was cancelled in only 67 polling units in Obosi ward 1, Idemili North local government, adding that the election will be repeated on Sunday.
Security was tight in the state during the governorship election as most of the major roads where taken over taken over by the combined team of military and mobile policemen who subjected even electoral officials and journalists to a thorough screening before they were allowed to pass through the various check-points.
The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who had earlier arrived the State to man Senator Ngige's 'Situation Room' was confined to his hotel in Awka, by the men of the State Security Services, SSS, who allegedly refused him moving round the State.