APGA’s Victory Maintains National Balance of Power Ahead of 2019
Obiano says it's victory for all in Anambra, Obaze protests APC consults
Tobi Soniyi in Lagos, Christopher Isiguzo, Onyebuchi Ezigbo and David Eleke in Awka
With the emphatic victory of the All Progressives Grand Alliance’s (APGA) candidate, Governor Willie Obiano, in the Anambra State governorship election held last Saturday, the country’s balance of political power has been maintained, leaving the contest for 2019 open.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had hoped to use the governorship contest to gain a foot hold in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dominated South-east of the country, while the latter also made a spirited bid to make the region its exclusive enclave by clinching the only APGA controlled state in the region.
But as APGA’s Obiano retained his seat, the power equation remained the same with all the leading political parties maintaining their strong holds preparatory to the 2019 general elections.
Announcing the results of the election at the INEC Headquarters in Awka, the Chief Returning Officer, Prof. Zanna Akpagu, said Obiano won in all the 21 local councils of the state.
According to the final results, Obiano of APGA polled 234,071 votes to defeat his closest rival, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Tony Nwoye, who polled a distant 98,752 votes. Mr. Oseloka Obaze of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polled 70,293 votes to place third.
Candidates of the United Progressives Party (UPP), Chief Osita Chidoka, and Progressive People Alliance (PPA), Mr. Godwin Ezemo, placed a distant fourth and fifth respectively with 7,903 and 2,787 votes.
There were a total of 2,064,134 registered voters in the state, out of which 457,311 were accredited.
According to Akpagu, there were a total of 448,771 votes cast, with 422,314 votes and 26,457 votes as valid and rejected votes respectively.
"With the powers conferred on me as the Returning Officer of the governorship election held in Anambra State on November 18, 2017 I, Prof Zanna Akpagu, hereby declare Willie Obiano of the APGA as the winner of the election and he is returned elected," Akpagu declared at exactly 7:31pm.
Savouring the victory that saw him trouncing his challengers in all the 21 local government areas of the state, Obiano showed magnanimity, saying it was victory for all citizens of Anambra State and that no one was the loser.
In his acceptance speech, the victorious Obiano thanked the people of the state for reelecting him for another four years declaring that it was time to build a new world.
He said the victory in the governorship election neither belonged to him nor his party APGA but to Ndi Anambra, adding that he accepts the historic mandate bestowed on him with utmost humility.
His statement reads in parts: "Umu nnem, the victory we savour today belongs neither to Willie Obiano nor to our great party, APGA. No! This sweet victory belongs to Ndi Anambra!
"It belongs to the wheel barrow pushers and the Okada riders who have clearly seen in our recent political experience, a glimmer of light in the horizon.
"It belongs to the farmers in Ayamelum, Onono, Ogbaru, Omasi, Omor and Ufuma who have now realized that Agriculture is the future of Nigeria.
"It belongs to the teachers and civil servants who have seen that a motivated workforce is the greatest asset of any government and have rewarded our faith in them with an overwhelming verdict at the polls.
"It belongs to the illustrious sons and daughters of Anambra State who have seen the star of this great state rise in the Eastern Skies and have answered our call for Aku luo uno; bringing home their Naira and Dollars to put our dear state on the investment map!
"This victory belongs to all of us! Umu nnem, this victory is not a winner takes it all. For in the New Anambra of my dream, everyone is a winner. Everyone!"
Obiano called on all those who contested election with him to join hands to build the state.
He said: "So, I reach out a hand of brotherhood to my fellow contestants… Oseloka, Tony, Osita, Godwin and others whose names I cannot easily recall here. And I say to you, my brothers: ‘We have all fought a good fight. But Anambra State is the WINNER!’ The interest of Anambra State is bigger than the private ambitions of anyone of us. Therefore, I pray you to join hands with me and build a better place for Ndi Anambra! Our beloved state needs our talent and our time. The time to build a better place is now!
"Indeed, this victory is a referendum on the solid resolve of Ndi Anambra to rise above average in all we do. We have demonstrated that we are indeed capable of taking charge of our lives and making difficult decisions that will brighten the future of our children. I have no doubt in my mind that we shall continue to lay the building blocks for a prosperous tomorrow for all.
"Ndi Anambra, this mandate is dear to my heart. I see it as a historic call to inspire my people to greatness. I see it as a call to deny myself sleep that my people might sleep better. Umu nnem, I will not give myself rest until our beloved state has fully assumed the status of the model state of Nigeria. This is my promise to you all.
"Fellow compatriots, this victory did not come by chance. It is the final product of the combined efforts of brilliant men and women who sacrificed their personal comfort to ensure that Anambra’s steady march to progress is not derailed.”
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for proving that under his watch, democracy would sink deeper roots in the Nigerian soil, saying the president promised a free
and fair election and delivered on his promise.
He also expressed appreciation to INEC for conducting what he said had been widely adjudged a transparent election in the state. “With this election, INEC has shown that it has fully braced up for the 2019 elections,” he said.
Obiano also thanked the Police, the Army and other law enforcement agencies, whose alertness, he said, ensured that the expressed will of the people was not thwarted.
Chidoka, Obaze, Ekweremadu, APC, Others React
There were mixed reactions to the outcome of the poll yesterday with UPP’s Chidoka, and PDP’s Obaze holding divergent views even as the APC has suspended comments until its meeting to determine its position on the outcome of the election.
Conceding victory, Chidoka said although the UPP performed well, he blamed the influence of money on politics for his loss.
In statement issued immediately after the results of the election was announced, the former Minister of Aviation, said that he was proud of the impact made by his campaign, which he said was purely issues- based.
He said: "In all, we hold our heads high; high because we did not lose the poll due to paucity of ideas or lack of “structure”. We lost to superior financial firepower. As Democrats, we concede to the voters’ choices. The true hallmark of democracy is the respect for the voice of the ballot as that of the majority.
"On November 18 our people announced strongly their rejection of politicians. They traded their votes because they doubted we would truly represent their interest. While our message resonated with the people they doubted that the political class cared about them. They voted for the highest bidder."
For Obaze, the governorship election results announced by the INEC did not reflect the realities of the votes cast on Saturday by the Anambra electorate.
According to him in a statement yesterday: "The over voting and inconsistencies between the counted ballots and card reader data remains exceedingly worrisome.
"The uniformity of the incumbent governor wining twenty-one local governments is a political aberration in the context of Anambra politics.
"The election results as reported, shows that nothing matters to the Anambra electorate. The people have spoken. They have taken a cursory long term view of what they wish for Anambra State."
The APC in its reaction said it would await detailed report of the election before it could make a statement.
The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said his party was still studying the situation and that he would not immediately take a position on the conduct of the election.
Abdullahi who spoke to THISDAY on telephone shortly after the result of the election was announced by the returning officer said the party's National Working Committee would soon meet to consider the reports of events that took place during the election.
He said that it would be premature for him to offer any view on the defeat of the party since its candidate had not taken stock of what transpired and was yet to communicate to the leadership his areas of concern.
"We will have to wait to receive report of the election from our candidate and his team before deciding of which position to take," he said.
But a chieftain of the APC and Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said the election was anything but free and fair.
Okechukwu who was part of the APC team that observed the election described the entire process as "cash and carry", insisting that the governor benefitted from Buhari's commitment to free and fair election.
In a statement issued in Awka shortly after INEC released results from the 21 local government areas, Okechukwu, however, hailed the president for desisting from any attempt at manipulating the process in favour of the APC.
"Governor Willie Obiano benefited handsomely from President Muhammadu Buhari's commitment to free, fair and transparent election. This is a case of democracy convert, who behaved better than old democrats. Otherwise, he couldn't have allowed Obiano to manipulate INEC and security agencies against his party's candidate,” he said.
The National Chairman of APGA, Mr. Victor Oye, savoured his party’s victory, saying: "It is a huge victory for us in APGA and all Nigerians. It is a marked and big departure from the impurities of the past where elections were flagrantly and mindlessly rigged.”
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu also reacted to the outcome of the election and congratulated Obiano for winning the contest.
He said: “I congratulate Governor Willy Obiano on his victory. It is a vote of confidence by the people of Anambra in his leadership style and capacity to deliver more dividends of democracy in the next four years.
“But, above all, I believe that the process matters more than the outcome. I commend the good people of Anambra State, INEC, security agencies, media, civil society organisations, election monitors, among numerous others for making the election peaceful.”
While commending the major political stakeholders in the election for their sportsmanship, he enjoined those who had issues with the outcome of the poll to toe the path of constitutionalism in seeking redress.
Ekweremadu called on Obiano to reach out to his political opponents and also recruit the best hands to move Anambra State forward, irrespective of their political leanings.