Anambra 2021: Intrigues, as INEC reschedules poll in two LGAs over claims of ‘gunpoint’ results

There are perhaps more questions than answers trailing the Anambra governorship election which results have been temporarily put on hold pending the final results from two local government areas in the state where alleged discrepancies were uncovered.

The two councils being in Ihiala and Orumba North.

While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer (RO) for the election, Professor Florence Obi, had told the media and party stakeholders that the elections did not hold owing to the failure of INEC adhoc staff to show up on time for the exercise, in the case of Ihiala council, that of Orumba North was a bit bizarre, as the INEC officer in charge of collation, claimed that he signed the result sheet under pressure and ‘at gunpoint.’

Both reports forced INEC’s RO to cancel and reschedule elections in both councils.

Professor Obi had announced this on Monday at the commission’s head office in Awka that:“The outstanding results are for Ihiala Local Government Area where for various reasons, the commission could not deploy materials yesterday (Saturday).

“Consequently, based on Constitutional considerations and provisions of the Electoral Act, as well as revised regulations and guidelines for the conduct of election issued by the commission, a supplementary election is indicated for Ihiala Local Government Area.”

 She, therefore, announced that a supplementary election would be conducted in the 326 polling units across Ihiala on Tuesday, November 9.

“Clause 47 of the Revised Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of elections provides that supplementary elections shall be conducted where the commission due to logistic challenges is unable to deploy on Election Day,” Professor Obi added.

“Given the foregoing, it becomes imperative to bring Ihiala Local Government Area at par with the other 20 local government areas in this election before we can make a valid declaration in this election or take any further action based on the extant laws.

“Therefore, I, Professor Florence Banku Obi, in my capacity as Returning Officer for this election, hereby announce the suspension of the process of collation of results and declaration of a winner until a supplementary election is held in the 326 polling units in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state,” the RO announced.

However, the question remains; if INEC says elections did not hold in the council, then who released previous results earlier put out by the commission from its polling units?

Then again the strange case of Orumba local government areas, where INEC, had earlier on Sunday declared the results as ‘withheld, cancelled.’

An earlier result sheet announced by INEC had also declared the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and its candidate, Prof Charles Soludo s winners in both Orumba (North and South) councils. However, as the Orumba South council was yet to report any incident, the North area of the council was replete with crises.

It would be recalled that INEC had announced results for councils as follows:

Orumba North LGA:

APC: 2,692

APGA: 4,826

PDP: 1,863

Orumba South LGA:

APC: 2,060

APGA: 4,394

PDP: 1,672

However, Returning Officer or Orumba North LGA, Dr. Michael Otu, had late Sunday, shocked INEC headquarters in Awka as he claimed that the results he signed and one already declared by INEC, was done ‘at gunpoint.’

Out, while delivering his report to the State Returning Officer, Prof. Florence Obi, at the ongoing election result collation, Sunday, narrated his ordeal at the local government area.

“I signed a report I didn’t believe in. I signed it under duress. I was teargassed. I was locked in the toilet, until a policeman smuggled me out.

“I could not even go out to ease myself. They were monitoring me up and down. At a point, I saw that my life waS in danger, so, I have to sign the results they prepared.

Responding to the allegation, the electoral officer who did not give her name, accused the returning officer of not knowing anything about collating election results.

“This man here has said so many things against me. But I observed that he has no experience in collating election results.

“This man does not know his left from his right. The result is full of mutilation. He does not know the difference between conducting elections and collating results.

Prof. Florence Obi did, however, acknowledge the discrepancies, as she told the gathering that she has already been briefed of the issues at the government area.

“This is the only local government I had a distress call from and I had to call the commissioner of police and told him that the lives of my staff are in danger,” she said.