Displaying items by tag: APGA

Dr Amselm Onuorah, the spokes person for the Kwechiri N’Oganiru opined that the presence of security operatives deployed for the Anambra stand-alone guber election brought insecurities to prospective voters.

Dr Onuorah made this know as a guest on CityTalks with Reuben Abati on City 105.1 on Saturday.

The Anambra governorship election that was conducted on the 6^th November 2021 and supplementary election in Ihiala Local Government Area, in Anambra State on the 9^th November, 2021 generated a lot of apprehensions from many people.

Prior to the scheduled date for the Anambra gubernatorial election, there was a report on new media that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared a sit-at-home order in the South East between 5-10 November, 2021 which of cause falls within the date for the election.

However, the President of Nigeria and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, had given clear directives to that effect, stating it clearly that whoever tries to disrupt the election will meet with the full weight of the Nigerian State.

According to the Office of the National Security Adviser, any non-state actor that tries to challenge the state's will be dealt with full force. According to the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The election was conducted in 21 Local Government Areas, over 5,000 polling units and 18 candidates of various political parties involved and also over 34, 500 personnel, 45 Commissioners of Police,48 ACPs, 2 DIGs, 5 AIGs, 3 Helicopters.  The Civil Defence Corps sent in over 20, 000 men.  The Department of State Security deployed its men and women. 

The spokesperson of the IPOB in a bulletin said that the sit-at-home order is cancelled and the group encouraged people to come out in their numbers to take part in the election.

In retrospect, Dr Onourah blamed the voters turn out on the humongous number of security personnel.

According to him, deploying such a number of personnel could have a negative impact in an election. “Some persons that didn’t come out may have thought that something may happen. However, their presence helped the atmosphere for those that came out,” he said.

Dr Onourah disagreed When fielded with the question by Dr Reuben Abati, if the presence of those personnel was there to justify the means to an end.

He said, “It is because of the failure of a system that accumulated to the event seen in Anambra.

“The federal government wanted the elections to hold to make a statement.

“The state didn’t want a state of emergency to be declared, so they have to deploy all that security apparatus to conduct an election in Anambra

“If the challenges in Anambra was handled before the election, it won’t be necessary to deploy all those security personnel.

“But at the end we had a peaceful election.”

A comment from Adeboyga Adedeji via whatsapp reads, “in as much as I want to congratulate Pro Charles Solution Soludo, for having the largest number of votes, I think we as a nation has not experienced what true democracy and democratic process entails. This idea of militarization of election, is another way of denying the right of the people in an election. Indirectly paving way for malpractices.”

Professor Charles Soludo, the Governor-elect of Anambra State, has termed his victory in the November 6 governorship election as a victory for the people.
Shortly after the Returning Officer for the election pronounced him the winner early on Wednesday morning, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) delivered a statement headlined "A Divine Journey Whose Time Has Come."

God, party members, supporters, INEC, security agencies, the presidency, and many others all played a role in not only guaranteeing his victory, but also in ensuring the election was held successfully despite the early anxieties and problems, according to his victory speech.

"There is enough room for everyone to contribute in the service of our motherland," Soludo stated in his victory address, adding, "That's the Anambra way!" Soludo extended a hand of fellowship to other candidates in the election, reminding them that the state is greater than them all. Let us maintain the "Anambra spirit" alive and well."

He emphasized that, despite initial technological hurdles, particularly with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), INEC should not abandon its efforts to implement technology in future elections, but rather improve them.

The Governor-elect also paid tribute to all those who died, particularly the three police officers who were killed by unknown gunmen during a town hall meeting with teenagers during his campaign.

Read complete text of his victory speech below: 

The run-up to this election and the election itself tested the resilience and integrity of our federal institutions. Many times there were tensions especially as one party boasted that it must “take” or “conquer” Anambra by all means.

“Our institutions proved again and again that this country can achieve eminent greatness when our institutions rise up to the occasion. The judiciary, led by the President of the Court of Appeal and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, stood for the integrity of the judiciary.

“We salute the eminent justices of the Anambra High court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court for standing up for justice. Your names will be written in gold. We thank President Buhari, the presidency, and our security agencies for ensuring a level playing field.

“We must particularly commend the Chairman, Management and staff of INEC for systematically striving to bequeath a legacy of free, fair and transparent electoral system to Nigeria. The use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) represents a massive improvement over the Card Reader and manual accreditation system.

A former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof Charles Soludo, has insisted that he is still in the Anambra State governorship race despite his exclusion from the list of candidates for the November 6 election published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Soludo emerged as the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in a primary election conducted by the mainstream members of the party on July 23.
INEC has now published Chuma Umeoji as the authentic candidate of APGA in the poll based on court order.

Umeorji had emerged as the candidate of the party in a primary election conducted by a factional national chairman of the party, Jude Okeke.
Reacting to the INEC publication, Soludo in a statement by his media aide, Joe Anatune, said he would contest the November 6 election despite his exclunion by INEC.
The statement read, “The Chukwuma Soludo Campaign has been briefed on a publication by the Independent National Electoral Commission where Honourable Chukwuma Umeoji has been published as the candidate of the APGA in the November 6, 2021, gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

“The INEC publication is based on a judgment by a High Court in Jigawa State, and the electoral body sensibly wrote that its inclusion of Umeoji as a candidate in the election is “By Judgment.

“Our millions of supporters in Anambra State and elsewhere in the world are advised not to be dispirited by the publication seriously.
“Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo will participate in the governorship election as the APGA candidate. His nomination was strictly in line with the Electoral Law and INEC guidelines. INEC observed the APGA Congress on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, where he was nominated after winning 93.4 percent of the valid votes cast in a free, fair and transparent manner which was broadcast live on national television networks as part of deepening the democratic process in Nigeria.

“Our team of dedicated and competent legal experts have studied the judgment and are confident of overturning it effortlessly. The party is at liberty to nominate the right candidate so long as due process is followed. Soludo’s nomination followed due process religiously.” 

The statement told supporters to wait patiently for Soludo’s leadership of the state, advising them not to be deterred by the Jigawa State Court order.
INEC had dropped the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ,Valentine Ozigbo and that of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) , Charles Soludo, ahead of the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Anambra State in obedience to orders of the court.

The names of the duo were absent in a publication of Personal Particulars of Candidates for the Anambra Governorship Election, made available yesterday in Abuja, and signed by the national commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye.

Recalls that Ozigbo and Ugochukwu Uba had emerged the PDP’s governorship candidate from parallel primary elections, adding that both are laying claim to the party’s ticket.

Also, it would be recalled that INEC had said there were no factions in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), recognising Dr. Victor Ikechukwu Oye-led APGA on its official website.
With the publication, the hope of Soludo and the ex-TransCorp Hilton Hotel boss, Chief Valentine Ozigbo, to become Anambra State governor may be fading as their names are conspicuously missing from the list.

The nation’s electoral body said the omission of some names was sequel to the order of the Nigerian courts.
The statement reads in part, “The commission also considered and took cognizance of the Judgments/Court Orders served on it in relation to the primaries of the political parties and other processes leading to the election.

“The commission will continue to act in consonance with the Constitution and the law and will continue to obey the judgments and orders of courts served on it.”
Meanwhile, candidates of 15 other political parties made the list, including Sen Emmanuel Nnamdi Uba (Andy Uba) of the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC).and his 53-year-old deputy governorship candidate, Johnbosco Okechukwu Anaedobe.

Others whose names are on the cleared list are Sen Ifeanyi Ubah and his deputy, Dr. Aloysius Ekee of Young Progressive Party (YPP), among others.

Interestingly, Senator Ubah of YPP has cleverly listed National Examination Council (NECO) as his highest qualification apparently to avoid the backlash that some candidates in Nigeria have suffered over the years when the Supreme Court of Nigeria had to overturn some elections on the grounds of educational qualifications of the candidates.

Anambra Guber: APGA accepts INEC’s decision to publish Umeoji’s name
The leadership of APGA has accepted the decision of INEC to recognise Hon Chuma Umeoji as the party’s candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State.
With Umeoji’s recognition as the party’s flag bearer, APGA said INEC has again proven its independence and its ability to conduct credible election without fear or favour.
A statement by the spokesman of the party, Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, also viewed this recognition as victory for democracy and the good people of Anambra State who are trusting the party for a credible candidate capable of moving the state forward after winning the November election.

“We urge our teeming party faithful and supporters to keep faith with APGA in the party’s desire to win the election and go ahead to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
“While calling on all party leaders and members to support and campaign for our candidate, we also urge Hon Umeoji to be magnanimous in victory by bringing all stakeholders on board.

“The task of winning the forthcoming election is one that we must pursue and achieve collectively, ” he said .

 

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