Anambra: Obiano lauds President Buhari not interfering with gubernatorial election
Governor Willie Obiano, yesterday, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for guaranteeing a level playing ground that allowed him to emerge winner of the Anambra State governorship election.
Willie Obiano reacting to his declaration as governor, Obiano also stretched out a hand of fellowship to fellow participants, even as he affirmed that the victory belonged to Ndi Anambra, who he said beat the odds to partake in an election that was largely characterised by minimal violence.
His assertions nonetheless, as the results were declared, yesterday, according to local government basis, many instances of election manipulation were cited by the local government returning officers leading to the cancellation of results in several units.
The most conspicuous cases were those of over-voting, the complicity of election officers among others. Obiano, who topped the poll in all 21 local government areas, polled a total of 234, 072 votes to beat his closest rival, Dr. Tony Nwoye of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who scored 98, 752 votes. Mr. Oseloka Obaze of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, polled 70, 293 votes to come third, while Osita Chidoka of the United Progressives Party, UPP, polled 7, 903 votes to come fourth. Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, who contested on the platform of the Democratic Peoples Congress, came out with 143 votes.
The returning officer, Professor Zana Akpadu, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, said Obiano met all the requirements to be declared winner. Former aviation minister and Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Mr. Osita Chidoka came fourth while the newspaper publisher and businessman, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo came fifth with the other 32 political parties trailing far behind. Nwoye congratulates Obiano Reactions to the conduct of the election were, yesterday, generally calm and supportive.
Dr. Nwoye, the APC candidate while congratulating Obiano, nevertheless pointed out that his supporters and agents were maimed and harassed by APGA supporters but said he left everything in the hands of God. Dr. Nwoye said he would not go to court but that his party had the option of going to court based on the evidence before it even as he said he and his supporters would support a second term for President Buhari.
