APGA Clears 20 Of 21 Chairmanship Seats In Anambra Council Elections

NAN

The ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra has won 20 chairmanship seats out of 21 in Saturday’s local government elections in the state.

The Acting Chairman of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), Mr Sylvester Okonkwo, announced the results in Awka on Sunday.

Okonkwo said the elections were not conducted in Nnewi North Local Government Area due to the late arrival of materials in the area.

He said it was unanimously agreed by parties that the election be conducted on Jan. 18.

He said that APGA won a total of 304 councillorship seats out of the 327 wards in the state.

He announced that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 12 councillorship seats while the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) and United Progressives Party (UPP) secured one councillorship seat each.

Okonkwo commended the people of the state for eschewing violence before, during and after the polls, even when he said there was a report of interception of a vehicle conveying election materials.

He urged those who were aggrieved with the outcome of the election to go to court.

The chairman recalled that local council election was last conducted in the state in 1998 while attempts to conduct the poll before Saturday had met brick walls.

He noted that attempts were made in December 1998, Dec. 4, 2004, February 2005, November 2011, Oct. 5, 2013, Dec. 14, 2013, Dec. 21, 2013 before it was finally conducted on Jan. 11.

In his reaction, the Chairman of APGA in the state, Mr Mike Kwentor, ascribed the party’s victory to the infrastructural development of the state by Gov. Peter Obi.

Kwentor said the party was not bothered by the postponement of the election in Nnewi North, boasting that the party will win the election when conducted.

“That other political parties got pockets of victories show that there is democracy in Anambra.

“Grassroots democracy is the election of villagers and commoners, so depending on the credibility of the candidate, villagers voted their choice,” he said.

Also reacting, Mr Jude Mbaegbu, the chairman-elect of Ekwusigo Local Government Area, promised good governance to the people of his area, appealing to the opposition to support his administration.