APC rejects Anambra by-election, says process marred by intimidation

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just-concluded Anambra South Senatorial by-election held on Saturday, 16 August 2025, Chief Azuka Okwuosa, has rejected the outcome, claiming the exercise was marred by intimidation, harassment, and other irregularities.

Okwuosa, who expressed his dissatisfaction while briefing journalists at his Orifite country home in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the state on Sunday, condemned the process, describing it as unacceptable.

He accused the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) of using security operatives and some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allegedly sabotage the electoral process, describing the exercise as a severe blow to the country’s democratic integrity.

According to the results announced by the INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Frank Ojiako, APGA’s Emmanuel Nwachukwu emerged winner with 90,408 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Okwuosa, who scored 19,847 votes, and Donald Amamgbo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who polled 2,889 votes.

Reacting further, the APC candidate described the exercise as “a charade, a rape of the people’s mandate,” and “an embarrassment to democracy.”

He alleged that APGA and the state government, led by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, “emptied the treasury just to capture the by-election,” using state-backed security outfits such as Operation Udo-ga-chi and Agunechemba to intimidate, harass, and manipulate the process to their advantage.

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Okwuosa said:
“Saturday’s election across all seven local government areas — Nnewi South, Nnewi North, Aguata, Ekwusigo, Ihiala, Orumba North and Orumba South — which make up Anambra South Senatorial District, lacked integrity, competence, neutrality, and moral standing. It should be rejected, and the results should not stand on moral grounds.

“What we witnessed was total charade and deliberate sabotage, where the state government and APGA used the state security apparatus of Operation Udo-ga-chi and other actors to create unfair advantage for themselves, rendering the entire process compromised.

“Even when the Nigeria Police banned Operation Udo-ga-chi from participating in the elections, they were present at polling units, harassing, intimidating and laying siege to voters, when they were supposed to be protecting the people from kidnappers in a state already plagued by insecurity.

“The people deserve elections that are free, fair and credible, not exercises where the outcome is predetermined and compromised. Until our elections are adequately prepared for and conducted transparently, democracy will remain under siege.

“Saturday’s election started as expected, and my party was coasting to victory when suddenly, over 300 operatives of the Udo-ga-chi group, made up of people with questionable characters, began invading all seven local governments across Anambra South.”

He further alleged that the operatives laid siege to his residence and attempted to prevent him from voting, though he managed to cast his ballot before their arrival.

According to him, the APC had earlier raised concerns about possible irregularities before the commencement of the election, stressing that it was aware that the ruling APGA had vowed to use state apparatus to intimidate and coerce voters.

He said:
“They blocked me with over 300 operatives of the Udo-ga-chi group, many of them miscreants covering their faces, wielding AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons like knives and axes. Everything was captured on CCTV. The Area Commander of Orifite was present, ably assisted by the President-General of the Orifite Town Union, the Local Government Chairman of Ekwusigo, and a member of the House of Assembly.

“They besieged my house and attempted to destroy my property. I never imagined that the state governor would descend so low as to collaborate with miscreants and people of questionable character just to capture a by-election.

“The conduct of Saturday’s by-election in Anambra was a complete rape of democracy. All the incidents were captured on camera. I have no doubt in my mind that I won the election. It is of serious concern that such widespread mayhem occurred simultaneously across all seven local governments, including Orumba North, Orumba South, Aguata, Nnewi North and Nnewi South.”

Okwuosa said he felt obliged to brief the public through the media about the situation. He urged his supporters to remain calm and not take the law into their hands, despite what he described as “unprecedented mayhem.”

He added:
“The state governor has failed, and the system under his care has equally failed. He has plunged the state into insecurity. The primary function of any government is to protect lives and property, but under Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the Anambra State Government has failed to restore safety, security, and economic stability for Ndi Anambra.”

He rejected the conduct of the election, which he said was deliberately skewed in favour of APGA’s candidate, Emmanuel Nwachukwu.

Okwuosa, however, called on the relevant authorities to promptly investigate reported violations of electoral laws and sanction offenders in line with the law, in order to deter future misconduct in the state and across the country.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE