Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sly Ezokenwa, has dismissed claims by opposition parties that the August 16 Anambra by-election was marred by sabotage and voter intimidation, describing the exercise as one of the most credible elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking on Arise News on Wednesday, Ezokenwa said the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were raising false alarms because they lacked political structures in the state and suffered defeat at the polls.
“They have absolutely nothing to offer and have decided to cry foul about a process adjudged by election observers as very credible,” he said, adding that INEC logistics on election day were “seamless,” with voting materials arriving at most polling units by 8 a.m.
Responding to allegations by the ADC that its agents were prevented from monitoring results, Ezokenwa said the party failed to register its agents on the designated portal and had no visible structure in Anambra. He also dismissed accusations that Governor Charles Soludo deployed private security operatives to intimidate voters, stressing that only conventional security agencies participated in the election.
Instead, Ezokenwa accused APC candidate Hon. Azuka Okosa of abducting electoral officials, saying APGA had submitted petitions, voice notes, and videos to the police as evidence. He urged security agencies to investigate and prosecute the matter to deter future violations.
The APGA chairman maintained that Anambra remains a stronghold of the party, citing its dominance since Peter Obi’s tenure in 2006 through to the current administration under Governor Soludo. He also denied speculation that Soludo planned to defect to the APC, insisting the governor remains committed to APGA’s progressive ideology.
Ezokenwa further rejected former President Goodluck Jonathan’s call for a separate registrar of political parties, arguing that Nigeria already suffers from bureaucratic proliferation and should instead focus on reducing governance costs.
Confident about the upcoming November 8 election, he said: “We’ve never had an election where we won 77% of the vote cast and 99.4% of polling units. November 8 will be even more decisive.”
