Awka – The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Sunday, said the 2021 Anambra Governorship Election held on Saturday, 6th November, 2021, was inconclusive.
This was because election could not hold in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.
The Commission has also fixed a Supplementary Election in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State on Tuesday this week, saying the election is inconclusive, until the supplementary election is conducted.
Ihiala was the only Local Government Area, where it was adjudged that Saturday’s gubernatorial polls in the State did not hold.
There was also the issue of the result of Orumba North Local Government Area, which was seriously contested by the various political parties, as there were allegations that election did not hold in the polling units.
The Collation Officer for the Local Government, Dr Michael Otu, had while collating the results, alleged that he signed the document under duress and that the election did not take place in polling units.
This was however, debunked by the Electoral Officer for Orumba North, Mrs Comfort Omoruyi, who claimed that the election was transparent.
The results for the LGA were however collated, after it was subjected to scrutiny by a conference of Collation Officers.
The Returning Officer for the 2021 Anambra Governorship election and Vice Chancellor of University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi, after the collation of results of the 20 Local Government Areas, where the election took place, announced the supplementary election to hold tomorrow, Tuesday.
Professor Obi said it was in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, that all the LGAs must hold their elections, before any declaration of result could be made.
She observed that the election in Ihiala could not hold last Saturday due to security threats.
“I announce the suspension of the collation of result and declaration of a winner until election is held in the 326 polling units of Ihiala LGA.
“I have conferred with the Commission and the Commission has decided that the Supplementary election will take place on the 9th of November, 2021.
“It is after then that collation will resume,” she noted.
Reacting to the announcement for supplementary election, the APGA Agent, Senator Victor Umeh described it as a welcome development to conclude the process.
The APC Agent, Mr Chibuzor Obiakor also said the decision to suspend the exercise until the election is conducted in Ihiala, was in the right direction.
Mr Obiakor, however, rejected the results announced for Orumba North, saying the B-VAS machine should have been checked before accepting the alleged outcome.
The APC and PDP Agents refused to sign the results of the 20 Local Government Areas already collated.
