Chidi Samuel || Oseloka Obaze, the candidate of the PDP in the Anambra State governorship election, has rejected the result of the Anambra governorship poll held last Saturday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission through the Returning Officer, Prof. Zanna Akpago, had declared Obiano the winner of the November 18, 2017, governorship election at the commission’s office in Awka on Sunday.
According to the results released by INEC, Obiano polled 234,071 votes to beat Nwoye (APC), who came a distant second with 98,752 votes.
Obaze, the PDP governorship candidate, who lost in Ogbaru, his local government area to Obiano, came third with 70,293 votes.
Osita Chidoka, the candidate of the United Progressive Party (UPP), came fourth with 7,903 votes.
Obaze, in rejecting the results said that the outcome was pre-determined and did not reflect the voting pattern.
Responding to questions on whether he was satisfied with the outcome of the election, he said, “No, not quite. This seems to be a pre-determined result because it is not consistent with the voters’ turnout and the pattern.
“It has never happened in Anambra politics that the winner wins 21 local governments. So, we need to look closely at what happened, why the incumbent governor is coming out top consistently.
“That questions whether the other candidates have no stronghold as individuals and their respective parties. There is a certain dubious consistency that, just on the face of it, is an aberration.”
The PDP candidate who was heavily backed by former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of complicity in cases over-voting in some areas in the State.
According to him, “INEC has to give an account on why there was over-voting, why there was inconsistency between what was uploaded and what was actually voted. If you have a higher number on the chart and there were no issues where people were fully accredited and left, then how did you have higher figures in the card readers than the voting itself?, he asked.
“Well, I am still consulting my people and I am still waiting,” was his response when asked if he will challenge the outcome of the election in court.