The Anambra governorship election has been declared inconclusive by the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The State Returning Officer for the election, Prof Florence Obi, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, who made the declaration in the early hours of Monday, around 12:20 a.m., said this was because there was no election in Ihiala Local Government Area which has over 148,000 registered voters.
Charles Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), scored a total of 103,946 votes and won the election in 18 out of the 21 local government areas of the state.
His closest rival, Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 51,322 and won in only one local government area.
“Based on constitutional provision and consideration of the Electoral Act as well as the revised regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections issued by the commission, supplementary election is indicated for Ihiala Local Government Area,” the state returning officer, Mrs Obi said.
She said the constitution provides for a candidate to secure both the highest number of votes cast and 25 per cent of votes cast in at least two-third of the local government areas of the state to declare the winner.
“Therefore, it is important to complete the election in Ihiala to make this determination,” she said.
