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As the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, fixes November 9th, 2021 for the supplementary election in Ihiala Local Government, the final results released on Sunday night showed the candidate of APGA won in 18 out of the 21 local governments declared by INEC.

The final results show that APGA, whose candidate is Mr Charles Soludo, polled 103, 946 to come first, the PDP, with its candidate, Mr Valentine Ozigbo, polled 51, 322 to come second while the APC with its candidate being Mr Andy Uba polled 42, 942 to come third.

The state Returning Officer for the election, Prof Florence Obi, the vice-chancellor of University of Calabar, who made the declaration in the early hours of Monday, around 12:20 a.m., said this was because there was no election in Ihiala Local Government Area which has over 148,000 registered voters.

Charles Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), scored a total of 103,946 votes and won the election in 18 out of the 21 local government areas of the state.

His closest rival, Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party scored 51,322 and won in only one local government area.

“Based on constitutional provision and consideration of the Electoral Act as well as the revised regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections issued by the commission, supplementary election is indicated for Ihiala Local Government Area,” the state returning officer, Mrs Obi said.

She said the constitution provides for a candidate to secure both the highest number of votes cast and 25 per cent of votes cast in at least two-third of the local government areas of the state to declare the winner.

“Therefore, it is important to complete the election in Ihiala to make this determination,” she said.

The election, which held amid tight, security was extended to the following day.

The Returning Officer in the ongoing governorship election for Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra, Micheal Otu, said election did not hold in the local government he presided over because he was locked up in the toilet and forced to sign election papers.

“I was made to sign the election papers under duress,” Mr Otu narrated during collation of results at Akwa on Sunday.

“I almost collapsed. I was locked in a toilet. As far as I’m concerned, there was no election in Orumba North.”

Mr Otu’s statement comes amidst reports that the governorship election held on Saturday was peaceful, free and fair throughout the state.

Orumba North has 93,608 registered voters.

INEC has taken a break from the ongoing collation of results to examine if election actually took place at Orumba North Local Government Area, or not.

From results of 16 local government areas collated so far Charles Soludo of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) won 15, while Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won Ogbaru LGA.

Source: Peoples Gazette