APGA sweeps 21 council seats in Anambra poll

From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) has declared the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) winner of last Saturday’s localgovernment elections in the state.

Announcing the results at its secretariat in Awka, Chairman of the electoral body, Genevieve Osakwe, said APGA won all the 21 and 365 wards in an exercise she described as free, fair, and credible conducted in a peaceful atmosphere in line with the state electoral laws and guidelines.

She said APGA fielded candidates for various positions across the 21 local government areas, while only YPP fielded a Mayoral candidate in Anambra East.

“APGA won in 20 local government areas through a “yes or No” voting pattern having produced sole candidates. The party polled 50,169 votes to defeat YPP which had 1,658 votes in Anambra East Council poll. I, hereby, declare the APGA candidates winners after polling the majority of votes for all the positions. I reaffirm the declaration of Councillorship results already declared at local government levels and append the Commission’s approval to the outcome of the elections,” she said.

While congratulating the winners, ANSIEC boss urged them to serve with high sense of responsibility, encouraging those who lost to accept the outcome in the spirit of democratic competition. She also commended voters, political parties, security agencies, civil societies, ANSIEC personnel, and the media for their support to the commission in the conduct of the exercise.

“The electoral process also provides lawful avenues for challenging any results where legitimate ground exists,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Mr Somtochukwu Udeze, has commended the peaceful conduct of the local government elections across the state, saying the exercise recorded no major security breaches or electoral violence.

Udeze said the development reinforced the security achievements of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration in protecting life and property across the state.

The lawmaker urged well-meaning citizens to take advantage of what he described as the conducive security environment created by the Soludo administration to return their businesses to the state and invest in Anambra. He said improved security and peaceful democratic participation would further create an environment capable of supporting economic growth and development.