The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Willie Obiano has won the Anambra State governorship election.
Obiano won in all the 21 local government areas of the state with a total of 234,071 votes.
His victory comes despite two other major candidates enjoying the backing of a sitting president and his predecessor.
President Muhammadu Buhari last Wednesday campaigned in Awka for Tony Nwoye, the candidate of his All Progressives Congress, (APC). The president was joined in the campaign train by several other governors, lawmakers and Ministers of the APC including Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Muhammed Abubakar of Bauchi State.
A day after, President Buhari campaigned for Mr. Nwoye, his predecessor, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan led about six governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to campaign for the party’s candidate, Oseloka Obaze.
However, none of the presidents could convince Anambra voters. Over half of the eventual voters opted for Mr. Obiano.
The Returning Officer for the election, Zana Akpagu, the Vice Chancellor of University of Calabar, after announcing the results, declared Mr. Obiano, the incumbent governor, as winner having polled the highest number of votes in the election.
Mr. Akpagu said that a total 448, 771 votes were cast during the election last Saturday. Of the total votes, 422, 314 were valid while 26,457 were rejected.
Obiano was followed, with a wide margin by the APC candidate, Tony Nwoye, who polled a total of 98,752 votes.
Obaze of the PDP emerged third with 70,293 votes while Osita Chidoka of United Progressives Party, UPP, came a distant fourth after garnering 7,903 votes.
In his victory speech, Mr. Obiano asked the losing candidates to join him in administering the state.
The governor called on his co-contestants in the election to see the result as a victory for all Anambra residents. He said the interest of the state is bigger than the contestants’ private ambitions and urged them to join hands with him to build a better place for the people.
Mr. Chidoka, the UPP candidate has already accepted defeat in the election, saying the APGA candidate won because of his financial muscle.
Meanwhile, Governor Willie Obiano has described his victory in Saturday’s governorship election as showing a resolve by the people of the state to rise above varying interests and take full control of their destiny.
The governor disclosed this in an acceptance speech titled “Time to Build a New world” which he made after it became clear he had won the election.
Although, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as at the time of this report, had not declared Mr. Obiano winner, the electoral commission has announced that he won in all the 21 local governments of the state.
The text of his speech was sent to newsmen by Mr. Obiano’s media aide, Oliver Okpala.
Governor Obiano said the victory belongs to every Igbo man who is concerned about the place of Ndigbo in the nation’s polity. He said in the next four years, APGA will make inroads into other South-east and South-south states.
The governor called on his co-contestants in the election to see the result as a victory for all Anambra residents. He said the interest of the state is bigger than the contestants’ private ambitions and urged them to join hands with him to build a better place for the people.
He said by the victory, Anambra people have demonstrated that they are capable of taking charge of their lives and making difficult decisions that will brighten their future.
Mr. Obiano described the mandate as a historic call not to relent until the state has fully assumed the status of the model state of Nigeria. He said the victory is the final product of the combined efforts of brilliant men and women who sacrificed their personal comfort to ensure that Anambra’s steady march to progress is not derailed.
The governor expressed gratitude to all members of APGA for their steadfastness, the INEC for conducting a transparent election and the law enforcement agencies “whose alertness ensured that the people’s mandate is not thwarted.”
He charged the people to prepare for the speedy transformation of the state into a prosperous sub-national entity in the next four years.
According to him, the state has stepped into its finest hour and its journey into greatness is now assured.
He added that his government is open to new ideas and vision and is willing to work with anyone who has something to share that will make Anambra State great.

Rivers State Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Ahmed G. Magaji (middle), addressing newsmen on the activities of the command in Port Harcourt, last Friday. With him are Commander in charge of State Investigation ad Intelligence Department (SIIB), Felix Vwanhi (left) and Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni.
Photo: Nwiueh Donatus Ken