A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has emerged the candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the Anambra State governorship election.
But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) insists that the party will not be on the ballot for the November 6, 2021 poll.
Soludo scored a total of 740 votes out of 792 valid votes cast by delegates on Wednesday.
Annoucing the results, the Returning Officer, Samson Olalere, said Soludo fulfilled the provisions of Electoral Act and the APGA guidelines.
Olalere said Soludo beat his rivals – Rep Okwudili Ezenwakwo, who scored 41 votes; Damian Okolo (7 votes) and ThankGod Ibeh (4 votes).
He said a total of 812 delegates were registered out of which 795 accredited and 792 voted.
The Returning Officer issued the APGA candidate Certificate of Return after Governor Willie Obiano raised Soludo’s hand as the duly elected candidate of the party in the scheduled election.
Obiano congratulated Soludo for his victory, while calling on party faithful to continue to support the party.
In his acceptance speech, Soludo said he was humbled by the overwhelming votes he received.
He thanked his co-contestants for their gallantry, while extending the proverbial olive branch to them, adding that APGA is a big house with enough rooms to accommodate everyone.
He promised to build on the success of past administrations in the State if the people vote him governor in November.
Soludo thanked Obiano for his leadership style and Dr Victor Oye, National Chairman of APGA under whom the party had grown to be the third strongest party in Nigeria.
In a reaction, Chief Neville Uchendu, a chieftain of APGA described the outcome of APGA primary as a tip of the iceberg on what would happen during November 6 election.
“Soludo is greatly loved by Anambra people and they will massively vote for him during the election,” he said.
But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has put a wedge in the way of the party.
INEC described APGA’s offence as violating the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, for which the party has been ruled out of the November 6, 2021 governorship poll in Anambra State.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which dropped the hint, yesterday, in Abuja, APGA’s disqualification followed the party’s failure to comply with Section 85 of the Electoral Act.
The commission disclosed that APGA did not notify it when it purportedly held its ad hoc congress to elect delegates for the party’s governorship primary.
INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Publicity and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, in a statement, insisted that parties must act within the confines of the law in the conduct of their congresses and primaries if they are to avoid issues and challenges that may complicate the conduct of elections.