LGA POLL: Gunshots Rock Anambra East as YPP Alleges Electoral Irregularities, Agunechemba Fingered

By Tony Okafor, Awka

Indiscriminate gunshots repeatedly rent the air as the distribution of electoral materials commenced at the LGA headquarters in Otuocha, Anambra East Local Government Area, during the council election.

The incident occurred on Saturday amid allegations by the Young Progressives Party (YPP) that its agents and supporters were prevented from participating in the election.

The YPP described the election in the council area as a “charade”, alleging that the exercise was being manipulated in favour of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the ruling party in the state.

The party’s Local Government Collation Agent for Anambra East, Mr Charles Ifediora, alleged that one of its female members was hit by gunfire during the incident and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Ifediora said the situation became tense after YPP agents and supporters assembled at their designated locations to participate in the election.

He alleged that none of his party’s agents was allowed to carry out their duties, adding that several gunshots were heard in the area.

He accused the state government, led by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, of abetting what he described as a sham election.

According to him, the development was particularly disturbing because the YPP had presented candidates for all 15 councillorship positions in the local government, covering 241 polling units.

Ifediora further alleged that security operatives identified as Agunaechebe and Udo Ga-achi had been mobilised by the state government to ensure that the opposition did not participate effectively in the election.

He alleged that one Ebele Eda was leading the operation.

He also claimed that result sheets for some communities, including Aguleri, Nando and Nsugbe, were taken to Awka, the state capital, where they would allegedly be completed at a location convenient to those conducting the exercise.

The YPP agent further alleged that the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) was not independent, questioning why, according to him, election result sheets would be released to APGA.

He said, “The situation is appalling. The election was scheduled to take place today, and when our people assembled as planned, all my agents were not allowed.

“There were several gunshots and one of our party members, a lady, was shot and taken to the hospital.”

Ifediora said the YPP had decided to boycott the election because of what he described as irregularities and a lack of a level playing field.

He said the party’s candidate for Anambra East was Sunday Nnabuife, adding that the decision to boycott the poll followed what the party perceived as a plot to deny the YPP the growing organic support for its candidate.

According to him, the people’s support for the YPP candidate was largely driven by dissatisfaction with the performance of the incumbent APGA council leadership, which he alleged had done little or nothing to improve the lives of residents during his first tenure.

Another aggrieved party member in the area questioned why Governor Soludo would not test his popularity in a genuinely free and fair local government election.

“If the governor thinks he is popular, why this charade?” he asked.

He alleged that the conduct of the Anambra East election was consistent with what he described as the pattern of previous APGA-controlled elections in the state, including the November 8 governorship poll.

He maintained that the only way to determine the popularity of the governor and his party was through a transparent election in which all political parties and their agents were allowed to participate freely.

As of 1 p.m., our correspondent did not observe anywhere the election was being held in the areas he monitored across the state, particularly in Anambra East LGA, Awka, the state capital, and its environs.

Efforts to obtain a response from ANSIEC and the Anambra State Government to the allegations were ongoing as of press time.