Anambra Poll: Obiano in early lead as INEC admits flaws

Candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in the governorship election in Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, has opened a significant lead is set to be declared winner of the election.

Exit polls collated so far from 20 local government areas of the state show Obiano was already leading.

This even as the Independent National Electoral Commission confirmed Sunday  that the governorship election in Anambra State, which ran into a second day yesterday, was flawed.

INEC said it would ensure the prosecution of the electoral official in Idemili North Local Government Area who colluded with some unnamed persons to sabotage the election.

The commission is however, not considering cancellation of the election results, as being advocated by some political parties and politicians.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, blamed on sabotage and subversion of the electoral process by the electoral officer.

Jega does not however believe that the irregularities were substantial enough to vitiate the entire result. He said that  contrary to the calls for the cancellation of the election results,the commission would be releasing  the full results after the outcome of the rescheduled election in Obosi Ward 7 that comprises 65 polling units.

Jega was quoted to have said in an interview with the African Independent Television (AIT) that the electoral officer of Idemili North connived with outside interests to subvert an electoral process.

'They used INEC staff to subvert the electoral process. The electoral officer in Idemili North messed up the process,' he said.

Jega explained  that the commission adopted a decentralised process of distributing election materials and that it was programmed in such a way that all election materials would have reached their respective destinations at least by 9 pm on Friday, a day before the election day.

According to him, the electoral officer in question has been arrested and handed over to the police for investigation, adding that the commission will follow up with the police to ensure his prosecution.