Anambra State Supplementary Election Holds Today.

The supplementary election in 210 polling units in Anambra State where election was cancelled on November 16, 2013 holds today to determine who will take over as new governor.

In the face of opposition’s call for an outright cancellation and a rerun, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is pressing ahead with today’s supplementary elections.

The supplementary election is expected to hold in Idemili North local government area, which has the highest number of 160 cancelled polling units and a combined registered voters’ population of 89,997.

Polling is also scheduled for four units in Ayamelum local government (1247 voters), one poling unit in Anambra East (250 voters), six units in Anambra West (2000 voters), one unit in Anaocha (276 voters) and two units in Awka North (1356 voters).

Other areas where polling is taking place today are one unit in Aguata (310 voters) and one unit in Awka South (249 voters). Others are three units in Ekwusigo (884 voters), two units in Idemili South (800 voters), one unit in Onitsha North (484 voters), 17 units in Onitsha South (12299 voters), four units in Orumba North (588 voters) and four units in Oyi (1202 voters).

In Idemili North where 89997 votes would be up for grabs today, APC already won 56.6% of the 12,604 votes cast on November 16, 2013 during the first exercise, while in Onitsha South where 12,299 votes would be contested for, APGA won 45% of the 16,782 votes cast, with APC securing 32.6%.

The All Progressive Congress (APC), whose candidate, Senator Chris Ngige was running a distant third in the collated results, has been strident in its criticism of the conduct of the November 16 elections.

The party, led by chieftains, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Bisi Akande were led a protest to INEC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday but a police barricade prevented them from taking their protest inside.

The elections of November 16 were conducted in 4,398 of the state’s 4608 polling units, with the collated results showing the candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Willie Obiano, leading with 174,710 votes and securing 25% in 18 of the 21 local government areas of the state, followed in second place by Comrade Tony Nwoye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 94, 856 votes or 25 per cent in nine local government areas..

The collated results also showed that Ngige of the APC had 92, 300 and the required 25 per cent in only seven local government areas.

Today’s polls is being held against the background of threats by some of the contestants including Ngige and Nwoye to boycott the process as well as protests by aggrieved women who took to the streets of Awka on Friday.

The women in their hundreds and who described themselves as “Anambra Women” carried posters which inscriptions which read: “INEC rigging, Bad for Anambra, We no go gree,” Jega Must go,” and sang songs disparaging INEC officials and the conduct of November 16 governorship election.

The protesting women called for the cancellation, resignation of INEC Chairman , Professor Attahiru Jega, as well as the removal of Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra State,  Chukwuemeka Onukogu.

They also demanded fresh election just as they said the scheduled  Supplementary election of November 30 would not hold.

Today’s supplementary election became necessary because the margin with which the highest scorer, Chief Willie Obiano of APGA beat the runner up, Comrade Tony Nwoye of PDP, was less than 113113 registered voters in the 210 polling units where election was cancelled.