TheCable

Eleven of the 18 political parties that contested the November 6 governorship election in Anambra have filed petitions challenging the outcome of the poll.

Surajo Gusau, secretary of the 2021 Anambra governorship election petitions tribunal, disclosed this on Tuesday to journalists in Awka, the state capital.

Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) secured 112,229 votes to defeat his two major rivals — Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 53,807 votes, and Andy Uba of APC who secured 43,285 votes.

Gusau said the tribunal would no longer entertain petitions as the timeline for filing notice of petitions had elapsed.

The electoral act stipulates that all petitions pertaining to any election must be filed within 21 days after the poll.

He said claims that the panel would sit in Abuja are not correct, adding that the three-member panel is expected to arrive in Anambra following the filing of the petitions.

He said the petitioners had appealed to the president of the court of appeal to allow the tribunal sit in Awka considering the cost and inconveniences of going to Abuja.

While Uba of the APC had rejected the results of the election, saying he will reclaim his “stolen mandate”, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its candidate, Afam Ume-Ezeoke, in their petition prayed the tribunal for the nullification of the election on the ground that the Bi-Modal Accreditation Verification System (BVAS) was not in the electoral act.

The Accord Party and Godwin Maduka, its candidate, also called for the nullification of the election on allegations of irregularities.

Other parties that filed petitions include the United Patriots, the Green Party and the Action People’s Party (APP).