The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled a supplementary election for Tuesday, November 9 in Anambra State’s Ihiala Local Government Area.
Professor Florence Obi, the Returning Officer for Saturday’s governorship election in the state, declared this in the early hours of Monday.
The decision to hold supplemental polls in Ihiala LGA comes as a result of INEC’s failure to hold elections there on Saturday.
According to Professor Obi, this failure was caused by security issues that prevented the electoral authority from deploying materials and employees in the LGA.
“We have collated results for 20 out of the 21 local government areas,” she said. “The outstanding results are for Ihiala Local Government Area where for various reasons, the commission could not deploy materials yesterday (Saturday).
“Consequently, based on Constitutional considerations and provisions of the Electoral Act as well as revised regulations and guidelines for the conduct of election issued by the commission, a supplementary election is indicated for Ihiala Local Government Area.”
Professor Obi noted that without LGA elections, the collation of results could not be completed and a winner declared.
Ihiala is the only one of Anambra’s 21 LGAs that could not hold elections.
All other LGAs had their results announced, with Charles Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, winning in 18 of the 20 LGAs whose results were declared.
“Clause 47 of the Revised Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of elections provides that supplementary elections shall be conducted where the commission due to logistic challenges is unable to deploy on Election Day,” Professor Obi said.
“Given the foregoing, it becomes imperative to bring Ihiala Local Government Area at par with the other 20 local government areas in this election before we can make a valid declaration in this election or take any further action based on the extant laws.
“Therefore, I, Professor Florence Banku Obi, in my capacity as Returning Officer for this election, hereby announce the suspension of the process of collation of results and declaration of a winner until a supplementary election is held in the 326 polling units in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.
“I have conferred with the commission, being the body that fixes the date for the election, and the commission has decided that the supplementary election will take place on Tuesday, 9th November 2021. Therefore, the collation of results shall resume thereafter.”
She urged party agents and the people of the state to back INEC during the supplemental election in order to guarantee that the election “is brought to a satisfactory end, for the sake of the people of Anambra State, the people of Nigeria, and to the Glory of God.”
