By Vincent Ujumadu
There was tension and sporadic gunshots at the council headquarters of Anambra East Local Government Area on Saturday, where election was supposed to hold for the Anambra State local government poll.
The ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has no challengers in 20 of the state’s 21 local government areas. But it is challenged by Young Progressives Party, YPP, in Anambra East.
Hundreds of people had gathered at the local government headquarters at Otuocha as early as 6 a.m., to monitor the distribution of election materials kept there.
However, YPP claimed that security operatives refused to allow its members into the compound.
The local government collation agent for YPP, Chief Charles Ifediorah, alleged that agents of his party were not allowed into the area to witness what was happening, describing the exercise as a “charade” and being manipulated in favour of APGA.
According to Ifediora, a female member of YPP was hit by gunfire and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Ifediorah said: “It’s an appalling situation here. The scheduled local government election was to take place and we assembled all our agents from the 241 polling units to the local government headquarters by 6am.
“Incidentally, we were refused entry into the local government premises to access voting materials We were outside before the Deputy Commissioner of Police arrived.and we were thereafter allowed to enter the premises.
“In our presence, some vehicles left with election materials for Enugwu Otu, Eziagulu Otu and Nsugbe ward 1. It’s a very disappointing moment for the YPP in Anambra East and
following this development, we are boycotting the election because the process is already compromised.
“The security agencies are aiding the compromised process and I was not even allowed to enter the inner room where the election materials were kept and distributed.”
He alleged that the sporadic gunshots around the local government headquarters were aimed at intimidating YPP supporters, claiming that one Ijeoma sustained injuries following the gunshots and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
He vowed that his party would follow the matter to its logical conclusion, noting that YPP zoned the chairmanship to Nsugbe because the area has not produced local government chairman since the creation of Anambra East local government.
“For the sake of equity, justice and fair play, we want the next local government chairman to come from Nsugbe”, he stated.
While speaking at a campaign rally before the election, Governor Chukwuma Soludo had observed that any vote against APGA would be a wasted vote and the party is on ground.
“In 20 LGAs, no party is challenging APGA and proper election will take place only in Anambra East, while others will be affirmation. This is because Anambra is APGA and APGA is Anambra and so none of them wanted to waste their time and money.
“Following my 73% score during the governorship: election, other political parties felt there is no need for them to waste their money in the local government election and they ran away”, the governor said.
The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, is yet to react on the situation in Anambra East local government area.
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