The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Barrister Sylvester Ezeokenwa, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he described as a credible and largely peaceful conduct of the Anambra governorship election.
Ezeokenwa, who spoke to journalists after casting his vote at Immaculate Parish Ward 4, said the exercise went smoothly in most polling units across the state, with only a few experiencing minor technical issues.
“The election has been seamless, except for isolated cases where the BVAS machines malfunctioned,” he stated.
“INEC’s technical teams responded swiftly to fix those challenges. I must commend our APGA agents across the state, they performed exceptionally well, thanks to the extensive training they received ahead of the polls.”
He also confirmed that reports of missing result sheets in some locations were promptly resolved by electoral officials.
The APGA chairman praised INEC staff for their professionalism and transparency, adding that the party’s only expectation was for the process to remain free, fair, and credible until the final collation of results.
On voter turnout, Ezeokenwa admitted participation was relatively low but said it aligned with historical trends in the state.
“There were initial fears that people might stay away, but Governor Charles Soludo encouraged citizens to exercise their civic duty. Historically, Anambra records about 20 percent voter turnout, and today’s numbers reflect that pattern,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party (LP) suffered a setback as its candidate, Dr. George Moghalu, lost in the polling unit of former presidential candidate Peter Obi.
According to official figures from Polling Unit 019, Agulu Ward 11, Anaocha Local Government Area, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nicholas Ukachukwu, secured 73 votes to defeat Moghalu of the Labour Party, who garnered 57 votes, while APGA came third with 38 votes.
Obi, who voted earlier at the same unit, decried reports of vote buying, describing it as a worrisome sign for Nigeria’s democracy.
“My personal experience is that democracy is deteriorating in our country,” Obi said.
“Unfortunately, those suffering the most from bad governance are the ones enabling it through practices like vote buying.”
