Anambra poll: Buhari deserves kudos– PDP presidential hopeful

A former PDP presidential aspirant, Mr Stanley Osifo, says President Muhammadu Buhari deserves commendations for the credible outcome of Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra.

Osifo, who vied for PDP’s presidential ticket in 2019, and now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.

“The election from every indication is adjudged free to a very large extent. I think we have to give kudos to the President who has made the conduct free, fair and credible through the electoral commission.

“In the last three governorship elections we have had in the country from Edo to Ondo and now to Anambra, we have seen free and fair elections.

“I hope Nigeria will move on with what we have achieved in Edo, Ondo and Anambra,” he said.

He commended the people of Anambra for conducting themselves peacefully, though the turnout of voters was very low.

Osifo congratulated the governor-elect, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and urged him to embrace other contestants while fulfilling all promises made to the people.

“My advice to him (Soludo) is to actualise his promises to the people and carry people along, leaving no room for divisions,” he said.

Asked if Soludo should probe the outgoing administration, Osifo said the governor-elect should probe if there was a need to do so, in the interest of the people and the state.

“It is for the good of Anambra, not about him as one man elected into office.

“It is not about being vindictive, oppressing or suppressing outgoing administration. If there is need, let him do it, it is for the good of the state. It will make others to sit up,” he added.

According to him, the free and fair election should be replicated in the forthcoming Ekiti and Osun elections in 2020 and the general elections in 2023.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) winner of the Nov. 6 governorship election in Anambra.

Soludo polled 112,229 votes to defeat his closest rival, Valentine Ozigbo of the PDP, who scored 53, 807 to emerge second.

Mr Andy Uba, candidate of the APC got 43,285 votes to emerge third.

Also, Mr Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) came fourth with 21,261 votes, and also won in one local government, same as Ozigbo, with Soludo winning in the remaining 19 local government areas of the state.