Victor Ezeja
Anambra State Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has described the local government elections held in 21 council areas across the state on Saturday as successful.
The governor who voted at his polling unit 002 in Ofuiyi Square, Umueze-Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area, said holding the LG election across the state was a fulfilment of the promise he made.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelPrime Business Africa reports that the 28th September LG election comes after the last one held 11 years ago under Peter Obi administration.
In a post on his Facebook page on Saturday, Soludo said: “Today, we are electing Mayors and councillors across 21 LGAs and 326 wards, bringing development closer to every community in Anambra. This grassroots election is crucial for strengthening local governance.”
In a video clip after voting, the governor said that from the feelers he got, voting went smoothly in different parts of the state.
He claimed that the manner in which the LG poll was conducted will be a clear example of how 2025 governorship election will be.
“From all the calls and feelers that I have got from all over the state, everything is going well. The process has been confirmed to be going very well, in fact superlatively well. We are taking this very very seriously,” Soludo stated.
He said his government invested resources in mobilisation and campaigns across 326 wards in the state because it is a grassroots election that would serve as an opinion poll to ascertain how his administration has performed and what next year governorship election would look like.
“We have said it everywhere and to all Anambra people that this will be one good example that is conducted very transparently and creditably,” Soludo claimed.
The LG election conducted by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) was a mixed bag of outcomes.
As observed, while members of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) claimed that the election was successful, a couple of those in opposition parties described the exercise as a sham.
In Orumba South local government area, the chairmanship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) Sir Norbert Okoli reportedly decried what he called total disenfranchisement of his people as there was no voting in the area.
Okoli said people in his town of Owerre Ezukala did not vote because of alleged insecurity even when ANSIEC did not inform them until when voters had gathered at the polling unit.
There were also, reports of low turnout of voters, late arrival of ANSIEC officials and electoral materials in some other parts of the state.
A resident of Onitsha who didn’t want to be named said that while many people were not aware of the election, those who knew decided not to go out and vote.
The state government had on Friday said there will be restriction of movement across the state between 8 am and 4 pm for smooth conduct of the election.
However, a report by the News Agency of Nigeria said commercial drivers were seen going about their daily businesses.
Some of the residents who failed to show up at voting points, according to the report, expressed lack of trust in the election process in the country due to past events.
However, the exercise was smooth in some areas.
In a video shared on social media, members of APGA in Ihiala Local Government Area were seen jubilating as Hon Anayochukwu Charles Orjiakor was declared Chairman-elect of the LGA.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
