Date Published: 04/15/11

Anambra Central: I’ll Not Be Part of Any Rerun, Ngige Vows
…As SSS moves returning officer, REC to Abuja

Senatorial candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chris Ngige, has said he would not be part of any rerun of the controversial Anambra Central Senatorial District election that may be contemplated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This is coming as the State Security Services (SSS) picked up the returning officer at the center of the controversy, Alex Anene, who had alleged that ex-Information Minister, Dora Akunyili and officials of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) pressured him to declare Akunyili winner promising to “settle” him with N10 million and a duplexe.

Others being quizzed by the SSS in Abuja over the controversial election include the newly appointed returning officer, Professor Charles Esinone and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Professor Chukwuemeka Onukogu.

Ngige’s position was contained in a petition he forwarded to the commission where he maintained that he conclusively won the Anambra Central Senatorial election and would therefore not be part of any planned rerun.

The Professor Attahiru Jega-led INEC which described the development in Anambra Central Senatorial District as “confusing” had raised a panel to look into the claims and counter claims from the two candidates as well as the role of INEC officials notably the returning officer and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).

Ngige accused APGA and the government of Anambra State of manipulating the electoral process in areas he clearly won in order to set the stage for a rerun which they plan to further manipulate.

“This is an election I clearly won. They tried all the tricks in the book and shrank the vote to the final result by getting electoral officers to cancel votes in some local government councils but in spite of that I still won.

“I will not be part of any rerun because they are using the resources of Anambra State and the ones they made as ministers to continue to manipulate until they win. Their plan is to keep asking for rerun until I become financially anemic and therefore I will not be part of any rerun. I won the election”, he said.