APGA Tightens Grip On Anambra State, Whips APC, ADC In  Bye-elections

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Mrs Justina Azuka, has failed in her bid to fill the void created at the Anambra State House of Assembly,  by the murder of her husband Hon Justice Azuka.

The late Hon Azuka who represented the Onitsha North I State Constituency in the Anambra’ State Legislative body on the platform of Labour Party, LP,

was kidnapped and subsequently murdered by  gunmen on the eve of 2024 Christmas. His wife decided, in memory of her husband, to replace him in office.

So, she flew the flag of the emerging opposition Coalition platform, the African Democratic Congress ADC, during Saturday August 16 by-election ,conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC. Sadly and surprisingly, she finished a very distant second after garnering only 1,909 votes.

The surprise is that Mrs Azuka was backed and publicly endorsed by Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 General Elections.

In the result declared early hours of Sunday, August 17, by INEC ,the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, candidate, Ifeoma Mimi Azikiwe was declared winner, with a total of 7, 774 votes.

While the All Progressive Congress, APC, flag bearer polled 1,371 votes to place third , Young Progressive Party YPP’s  Njideka Ndiwe received 655 votes to come fourth .

Instructively, the Onitsha North I state Constituency contest was one in which many of the established parties including APGA ,ADC ,YPP and PDP fielded female candidates.

Only APC had a male candidate ,Mr Ezennia Chuka Ojekwe , among the major parties .

In the same vein ,Emma Nwachukwu of the APGA polled a total of 90,408 votes to claim victory in the Anambra’ South Senatorial District by-election.

While the APC candidate Azuka Okwuosa garnered 19,847 votes to place second, ADC and PDP  received 2,889 and 68 votes respectively. Again, the ADC Candidate was publicly endorsed by Obi.

As at the time  of reporting, defeated political parties were yet to react to the outcome of the election, even though they had raised some concerns before and during the polls.