By Gabriel Chy Alonta
The Peoples Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate in the November 6 election, Mr. Valentine Chineto Ozigbo, is still confident of emerging victorious when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announces the final results.
Orient Daily reports that the electoral umpire had declared the November 6 election inconclusive following the lack of conduct of election in Ihiala local government area and some parts of Anambra state.
PDP is currently trailing the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) with over 50,000 votes and Mr. Ozigbo has expressed optimism of upturning the results after the other elections.
Mr. Ozigbo, who made this known when he addressed newsmen in Awka, the Anambra state capital, recalled that his mission for contesting was to change the status quo, saying that Anambra deserves better and Nigeria at large.
According to him, it is not over yet. The election is still on and in Ihiala, Idemili North, Awka North and other parts where there will be supplementary elections due to problems, we have over 248,000 registered votes up for shares.
“We call on our supporters to come out enmass and support the party. The race is still on; let them not lose hope. We will win”.
While commending INEC’s effort to digitise the voting process, the business mogul, however, decried that the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) machine deployed was marred with irregularities, bemoaning that the process disenfranchised many eligible voters. He linked the low turn out of voters to the stress subjected to electorates and poor logistics, rather than voter apathy. He, therefore, called on the electoral umpire to right their wrongs on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 election in Ihiala during the supplementary election.
He alleged that some of the adhoc staff used by INEC in the polling stations were not adequately trained, saying that it affected voters. He further alleged that in some polling units, the INEC officials utilised manual accreditation, which, he said, was against the laws of the election.
He further faulted other political parties for spending frivolously in a bid to buy voters, which, according to him, thwarted the intentions of voters against voting character, competence, capacity and compassion. He also frowned at denominational politics played out during the election, while urging Anambrarians to massively support the PDP and their candidate in the supplementary elections.