APC, 10 political parties contest Soludo’s victory

Eleven political parties that participated in the November 6 and 9, 2021 governorship election in Anambra have filed petitions challenging the outcome of the exercise.

They are dragging the governor-elect and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, through the Election Petition Tribunal.

Mr Surajo Gusau, Secretary of the 2021 Anambra Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, disclosed this to newsmen in Awka on Tuesday.

The governor-elect, Prof. Charles Soludo and his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were declared winner of the election.

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Gusau, however, said the timeline for filing notice of petitions had elapsed.

He said members of the 3-man panel were expected to arrive in Anambra following the filing of the petitions and that the fears that the panel would sit in Abuja were misplaced.

This is against the backdrop that petitioners had appealed to the President of the Court of Appeal to allow the tribunal sit in Awka as the cost and inconveniences of going to Abuja were enormous.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) with its candidate, Senator Andy Uba, was among those who approached the tribunal with petitions.

Also, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its candidate, Prince Afam Ume-Ezeoke, in their petition prayed the tribunal to nullify the election on the grounds that the Bi-Modal Accreditation Verification System (BVAS) was not in the Electoral Act.

The Accord Party with its candidate, Dr Godwin Maduka, also called for the nullification of the election on the grounds of irregularities.

Meanwhile, Mr Ifeatu Obiokoye, Special Adviser to Governor Wille Obiano on Political Matters, told reporters that APGA was not losing sleep over the petitions, adding that a particular party was sponsoring some lesser political parties to go to tribunal.

Obiokoye said that “Our party, APGA, won the election and we are prepared to defend our mandate at the tribunal.”