Anambra Poll: Obiano still in the race, APGA says

Willie Obiano has been dragged to court for alleged double registration. The All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, has dismissed claims that its candidate, Willie Obiano, has been disqualified from Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

In a statement by Ifeanacho Oguejiofor, APGA National Director of Publicity, Friday, the party called on the Anambra people to disregard the “false information being spread around, by some undesirable elements and political nitwits.” The party’s statement came in the wake of Thursday’s hearing at the Federal High Court, Abuja, in which two plaintiffs, Kenneth Moneke and Ugochukwu Ikegwuonu, urged the court to disqualify Mr. Obiano.

The plaintiffs accused the APGA governorship candidate of possessing two voter cards, adding that the one he tendered before his party during their screening was different from the one he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

According to the plaintiffs, Mr. Obiano’s voter cards include one with Identification Number 90F5815E7D3738200332 and another with Number 90F5B12B01296204172. The duo urged the court to order INEC to strike out Mr. Obiano’s name from its record as a candidate in the election.

On Thursday, the judge granted leave to the plaintiffs to serve the court processes to the APGA candidate ‘outside jurisdiction’ – they were ordered to paste the processes at any part of Mr. Obiano’s residence or the entrance at 1 Chief Willie Obiano Street, Aguleri, Otuocha, in Anambra State.

The judge’s decision sparked rumours that the court had disqualified the APGA candidate from participating in the election. But in the party’s statement on Friday, it sought to clear the air about its candidate’s eligibility. “The APGA Candidate is still in the race,” Mr. Oguejiofor said. “The propaganda is a calculated and last desperate attempt by some unscrupulous and aggrieved political conspirators and their supporters to mislead the general public, particularly the Anambra State voters, against APGA candidate, Chief Willie Obiano,” he added.