Governor of Nigeria’s southeastern state retains post

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria

Willie Obiano, governor of southeastern Anambra state, won the governorship election on Saturday, according to official result released on Sunday.

Obiano got 195,256 votes, representing 58 percent of the total valid votes. Tony Nwoye, his closest rival from All Progressives Congress, received 79,885 or 24 percent votes, while 60,967 or 18 percent of votes were cast in favor of People’s Democratic Party candidate Oseloka Obaze.

Obiano contested on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, a party formed by the late Odumegu Ojukwu, an army major that had led ethnic Igbo to a civil war against Nigeria in 1967.

Observers adjudged the election as generally peaceful, despite threats of violence by the secessionist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which had asked voters to stay away or be attacked.

The IPOB said political activities are barred across Igbo southeast region until Nigerian authorities call a referendum to decide the question of secession. Abuja has proscribed the group whose leader Nnamdi Kanu faces a treason trial.

Center for Democracy and Development said in a preliminary report that the Anambra election was marred by massive voter apathy and vote buying by all the three major political parties.

“Our observers witnessed agents of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, All Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party either giving cash or cooked food as gifts to voters."