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- Says APGA govt used Udo -ga -achi operatives to hijack victory
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra state has rejected the INEC declaration of APGA as the winner of the Anambra South Senatorial by-election held last Saturday in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer, Prof. Frank Ojiako, had declared Emmanuel Nwachukwu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) winner with 90,408 votes, while Okwuosa of the APC polled 19,8I2 votes while Oforbuike Okoli- Egbo of YPP came third with 6,538 votes .
But Okwuosa and the party leadership together with the governorship candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu in separate press briefings at Oraifite and Awka respectively, said the results declared by INEC was not a true reflection of what transpired during the election.
Okwuosa alleged that the APGA government unleashed men of the Operation Udo -ga -achi operatives in his house, laid siege in his compound and held everyone hostage for hours and proceeded to not only hijack the electoral materials but also manipulated the results to declare the APGA candidate winner.
“Over 300 members of the group with other miscreants, covering their faces in a mafia militia fashion wielding dangerous weapons like knives, guns, and axes laid siege in my house. Everything is on video, under the cover of the area commander Oraifite, ably assisted by the town union president, local government chairman and the House of Assembly member representing”.
“To me, this is actually an orchestrated terrorism under the leadership of the Anambra state government. I never knew that the government in collaboration with all these entities can converge an assemblage of miscreants and people of questionable character under the guidance of some stakeholders in this community.
“This is a complete rape on democracy, intimidation of voters and at the same time instigating mayhem and preventing people from exercising their civic responsibilities as enshrined in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria through which they can freely elect their representatives at the end of the day. I have no doubt in my mind that I won this election before that thing happened otherwise I can’t understand this level of intimation and suppression across the 7 local government areas of the zone” he stated.
Okwuosa also disclosed that he got feedback from field party agents who confirmed the ugly scenario across board but said he held his supporters from resorting to taking laws into their hands to avert chaos and anarchy in the communities.
Chairman of APC in Anambra state, Chief Basil Ejidike also claimed that a government official, not from the senatorial district of Anambra South led members of the Agunechemba squad to restrict the APC governorship candidate in Osumenyi.
“While he distracted our governorship candidate, the vigilante held our Senatorial candidate hostage in his home” Ejidike stated.
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He said the party leadership and the candidate will meet and decide whether to challenge the election outcome in court.
The governorship candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu said the APGA government targeted both the APC Senatorial candidate, himself the governorship candidate and his deputy, Senator Uche Ekwunife all in a calculated attempt to win the election at all cost and also send a dangerous signal for the upcoming governorship election.
“You were also aware of the murder of APC ward 2 chairman at Nri town, the home town of my deputy, Senator Uche Ekwunife. You can see that it was an organized set up.Most of the results they declared were not correct. The election was marred with irregularities, yet nobody was arrested. They used state vigilante: Udogachi and Agunechemba to achieve their aims”.
“The local vigilante were arresting and detaining people especially APC Agents, supporters and canvassers. They were in different polling units with the Local government mayor, yet no arrest was made.”
“In my community, they came, beating and arresting my people and as a leader of my party, I have to protect them .We are not going to fold our arms and allow things go wrong. We are going to do otherwise if security agencies did not do the needful by disarming the vigilante groups they are using. They are already jittery because they know that they will lose the November 8 guber election.
“We are calling on Inspector General of police and other security agencies to take good account of what happened in Anambra Bye election. APC will win this November 8 election when things are put in place as it supposed to be. We are not looking for rigging, we are not looking for violence, we are law abiding and with proper vote cast, we will win the election.”
He equally urged the members and supporters to always obey the government. We have a listening president and our federal security apparatus will do the needful at the right time.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Chief Law Mefor when contacted denied all the allegations and absolved APGA and the government of any wrongdoing in the election. He said rather that the landslide victory recorded by the party last Saturday was a confidence vote on Soludo and his sterling performance in office.
Mefor also predicted that the November 8 2025 guber election will be a fait accompli for the governor because “the bonding of President Tinubu and Governor Soludo through the ideology of progressives working together is beginning to yield democracy dividends”
