Tension and sporadic gunshots were reported at the headquarters of Anambra East Local Government Area on Saturday as voting was scheduled to take place in the Anambra State local government election.
The incident occurred at Otuocha, where hundreds of residents and party supporters had gathered from about 6am to monitor the distribution of election materials.
The ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, is unopposed in 20 of the state’s 21 local government areas, with the Young Progressives Party, YPP, challenging it only in Anambra East.
However, YPP alleged that its agents were initially prevented by security operatives from entering the council premises to observe the distribution of election materials.
The party’s local government collation agent, Chief Charles Ifediorah, described the process as a “charade”, alleging that the exercise was being manipulated in favour of APGA.
Ifediorah said YPP agents assembled at the council headquarters from 6am but were denied access to the premises.
He said they were later allowed into the compound following the arrival of a Deputy Commissioner of Police.
“It’s an appalling situation here. The scheduled local government election was to take place and we assembled all our agents from the 241 polling units at the local government headquarters by 6am.
“Incidentally, we were refused entry into the local government premises to access voting materials,” he said.
According to him, election materials were subsequently moved from the premises to Enugwu Otu, Eziagulu Otu and Nsugbe Ward 1 in the presence of YPP representatives.
He said the party decided to boycott the election after concluding that the process had already been compromised.
“It’s a very disappointing moment for the YPP in Anambra East and following this development, we are boycotting the election because the process is already compromised,” he said.
Ifediorah further alleged that security agencies were aiding the process and preventing YPP representatives from monitoring the distribution of materials.
YPP Member Reportedly Injured
The YPP agent also alleged that sporadic gunshots around the council headquarters were intended to intimidate supporters of the party.
He claimed that a female YPP member identified as Ijeoma was hit by gunfire and rushed to a hospital for treatment.
Ifediorah said the party would pursue the matter, adding that YPP had zoned its chairmanship ticket to Nsugbe because the community had not produced a local government chairman since the creation of Anambra East.
“For the sake of equity, justice and fair play, we want the next local government chairman to come from Nsugbe,” he said.
Meanwhile, Governor Chukwuma Soludo had, during a campaign rally ahead of the election, described APGA as the dominant political force in the state.
Soludo said APGA was unchallenged in 20 local government areas, while the election in Anambra East would be the only competitive contest.
“In 20 LGAs, no party is challenging APGA and proper election will take place only in Anambra East, while others will be affirmation,” the governor said.
He attributed the lack of opposition in the other local government areas to APGA’s dominance in the state.
The governor added that following his performance in the last governorship election, other political parties had decided not to spend resources contesting the local government poll.
However, the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, had yet to issue an official statement on the reported incident in Anambra East as of the time of filing this report.
