Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Poll Agent of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State for the 2019 general elections, raised objection to the results of Presidential and National Assembly elections announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly, that of Njikoka Local Government Area. Ngige argued that the results announced by the collation officer, Professor Edmund Egbo, did not align with what was collated in the polling units and wards of the local government, and, therefore, rejected the result.
“With due respect, we cannot accept this result because it does not tally with what was collated in the field. This is a clear case of over voting and my party will not accept it.
“We know that we are working to beat time, especially, because of the number of presidential candidates involved, but the right thing would have been to start by announcing the results from the field, before that of the entire local government,” Ngige protested.
The Collation Officer stated that there was no case of over voting but a slight increase in the number of the total votes scored by the candidates.
INEC had declared the former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the Anambra North Senatorial District.
The INEC also declared Ifeanyi Ubah, Chairman of Capital Oil and Gas of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), and Senator Uche Ekwunife of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), winners of the Anambra South and Anambra Central Senatorial districts, respectively.
Declaring the results in Onitsha, the Returning Officer, Prof. Hughes Maduka, said Senator Stella Oduah polled 113,989 votes to defeat 20 other candidates, including Dr. Chinedu Emeka of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), who came second with 59,937 votes while Mr. Nelson Onubogu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, emerged third with 11,995 votes.
Ekwunife expanded her camp in the state with the defection of 2000 APGA supporters in Anambra Central to PDP.
Senator Oduah said her re-election for second tenure was “a proof of God’s love for me and my people and I promised to sustain the quality representation.”
The result of Ifeanyi Ubah’s victory was announced by Mr. M.N. Umenweke, the Returning Officer at Uruagu Nnewi North Council Headquarters. Umenweke announced that Ubah polled 87,081 votes to beat his three other rivals, Chris Uba of the PDP 62,462 and his brother, Andy of the APC 13,245 and Nicholas Ukachukwu of APGA 51,269.
The Victor Umeh Campaign Organisation also complained that INEC has not declared Anambra Central Senatorial District result as being claimed, saying that it is still collating the results. Ekwunife had reportedly polled 18,412 votes ahead of Umeh’s 14,403, while Okonkwo trailed them at the rear with 1,144 votes.
PDP also won the House of Representatives seat for Anaocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia Federal Constituency, its candidate, Valentine Ayika, scored 16,084. The incumbent, Ferdinand Dozie Nwankwo, of APGA came second with 14,582 and Elijah Onyeagba of the APC scored 2,574 to come third in the contest.