Anambra Guber Elections: Live Updates

Accreditation of voters at Community Primary School IV Umuokpu- Awka, Anambra: By Tony Edike. Welcome to Vanguard Online Live Updates of the Anambra Governorship Election. 9:00am: Materials yet to arrive at various polling units in Awka, the Anambra State capital 9:00am: At Aguleri, election materials have been released to all units from the LGA headquarters at Otuocha. 9:20am: A bus loaded wit sensitive materials has arrived Ward 6 Amagwu in Awka but the materials were yet to be offloaded from the vehicle. 9:30am: Accreditation of voters is ongoing at Community Primary School IV Umuokpu – Awka 9: 40am: Accreditation has also begun at Nnewi Ichi, Nnewi. 10:00am INEC advises voters to return to the queue at 12:30, at their polling unit, after accreditation for another headcount of voters. 10:08am: At Ward 2, PU 007 and 008, Umuono Community, voters are still waiting for INEC officials 10:30am: INEC officials are still beeing awaited at Ward 18, Abatete community in Idemili North LGA. 10:40am: Soldiers are detaining election observers who are on their way to Onitsha from Awka. 10:40am: Anambra East LGA, base of two of the leading candidates, Tony Nwoye of PDP and Willie Obiano of APGA enthusiasm is very high among voters who have poured out for accreditation. Security is tight with soldiers moving around 10:45am: A citizen reporter says, there was no provision for seats for INEC officials at Utuh Community school. The accreditation of voters has been stalled, despite of the arrival of voting materials since 8.00am. 10:55am: In many polling units, only three parties : APC, APGA, and PDP have their agents on the ground. 10:55am : A citizen reporter, Ezechukwu Marcel, a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic Oko reports that polling materials arrived Achina in Aguata Local Government Area at exactly 7: 00 am while accreditation of voters commenced 8 :00 am. According to him, ”voters turnout is very impressive.” 11: 09am: INEC officials are yet to arrive Ogidi in Idemili North LGA. ” Does it mean Idemili North citizens are not eligible to vote”, a citizen reporter asked. 12:30pm: Following his accreditation at his Okwute Hall, polling unit in Uga, Aguata LGA, Senator Andy Uba, Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC vowed to summon Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman, to explain reasons why many voters cannot find their names on the register despite his earlier assurances of a near perfect election. More than 20 voters could not find their names in the register in Senator Uba’s polling unit. 12:55pm: ”There is no election going on in the whole of Obosi town as at the time of sending report”, says a citizen reporter. 1:20pm: INEC says it is aware of logistical challenges in the commencement of accreditation in Idemili North and South LGAs but assures that elections will be conclusively conducted, with time extension allowed as may be necessary. 1:30pm : Labour Party candidate Ifeanyi Uba decries inconsistencies in the voters register at his Nnewi ichi ward. 1:35pm: Gov. Peter Obi restricted to Gov’s Lodge by security agents 1:50pm: Over 700 names missing in the voters register amid high voters turnout at Orieogbe polling unit, Nnewi. 2:00pm: THE All Progressive Grand Alliance Gubernatorial candidate , Chief Willie Obiano voted at about 12:40pm at Eri Primary II, Aguleri, Anambra East Council Area. According to him, “I am happy, I have just voted, I think INEC has done well, I thank my people for coming out to vote.” 2:10pm: Engr Kennedy Offor. ANSU, ULI reports that accreditation and voting of accredited voters was concluded peacefully in booth 003 and 013 of Uli Ward 1 while as INEC officials are set to commence counting of votes. 2:50pm: INEC extends voting in Idemili North to 6pm. 255pm: After several hours, observers detained by soldiers have regained their freedom. 3:00pm : APC candidate Dr. Chris Ngige passes vote of no confidence on State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Onukaogu. 3:00pm: PDP candidate, Chief Tony Nwoye yet to be accredited as at 2.30 pm even when voting had started in his Nsugbe ward. 3:15pm: Vanguard gathered Tony Nwoye, PDP governorship candidate could not find his name on the voters register. 3:20pm : Chris Ngige wants INEC to postpone exercise in Idemili North and Awka South to Monday, following non and late arrival of electoral materials to the areas. 3:30pm: Vanguard gathered that the non- payment of allowances to ad-hoc staff comprising of Corps members by INEC was responsible for the logistic crises in Idemili north and Awka 4:00pm: APC and APGA are believed to be running neck to neck in Anambra North council. 4:20pm : Voting ends at Enugu Ukwu Ward 3, counting in progress. 5:00pm Results trickling in: Citizen Emmanuel Mbalico reports that APGA won in 5 wards out of 8; APC won in 2 wards and PDP won one ward at Abagana. WELCOME TO DAY 2 UPDATES OF ANAMBRA ELECTION 10:45am: Situation: INEC rescheduled Anambra guber election in 65 polling units to be held today, Sunday. But APC demanded elections in 4LGAs – Idemili North, Idemili South, Awka South and Ihiala. Meanwhile reports say INEC has stopped the collation of votes. 11:00am : Chris Ngige is addressing a press conference at Old English Hotel Awka. He says APC will not participate in the ongoing rescheduled election in Idemili north. 11:15am: APC candidate’s Campaign Director, George Moghalu berates INEC for organising elections on Sunday. 11:17am: INEC has denied suspending collation of results as reported in a section of the media. It says, ” It is standard practice to collate results when voting has taken place in all LGAs. 11:40am: Ongoing Ngige briefing: I weep for Nigeria, Ngige says, adding that INEC has taken 3 steps backwards. 11:41am: INEC insists elections will hold only in 65 polling units in Obosi, Ward 7 and Idemili North and not in 4LGAs, saying, “the report of elections in four other LGAs is false.” 11:42am: A citizen reporter, Emmanuel says that election is ongoing in Idemili- north LGA at the polling unit at the Peoples Club Owerri road. According to him, INEC officials arrived by 10.30am and immediately commenced accreditation. 12:40pm: No fewer than 20 election officials in the Anambra governorship poll were attacked in the early hours of Sunday by armed robbery suspects along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway. 1:30pm: Vanguard gathered that collation of results is completed in all local government areas except in Idemili north where election is ongoing. 1:35pm: Tony Nwoye, the PDP candidate says Jega is worse than Iwu, adding that INEC scientifically rigged the election. 1:50pm: Meanwhile, INEC chairman, Prof Jega was on AIT and here are excerpts of his interview, as released by INEC: ” The Electoral Officer in charge of Idemili North… messed up distribution of electoral materials .We believe strongly that there was connivance between the EO and unknown agents to subvert the electoral proces and the Electoral Officer & LGA Supervisor in charge of Idemili North have been handed over to the police. 2:20pm: Prof Jega says; “ Results in all LGAs were elections were held has been compiled and sent to INEC Hqtrs; As soon as Idemili North results arrive, state collation will be done and the Returning Officer will announce the results the moment collation is concluded.” 2:45pm: PDP candidate, Tony Nwoye blasts Anambra Resident Electoral Commissioner, alleging that he compromised, just as he calls for the cancellation of election results. Join our coverage of the election : You can send your materials with your name,polling centre, ward and town to ; Email: citizenreport@vanguardngr.com; Tweet : @vanguardngrnews, #electionvanguard SMS only :07061078412, 08134742454 Let’s be part of of this historic election… start sending your stories now!