…Says process marred by intimidation, harassment
By Ovat Abeng
Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded Saturday August 16th, 2025 Anambra South Senatorial by-election, Chief Azuka Okwuosa, has rejected the outcome on the ground that the election was marred by intimidation, harassment among others.
Okwusa, who expresses his dissatisfaction while briefing Journalists at his Orifite country home in Ekwisigo local government area of the state on Sunday, condemned the process, describing it as unacceptable.
He accused the State ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA of using security operatives and some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission to allegedly sabotage the electoral process and described the exercise as a severe blow to country’s democratic integrity.
In the result announced by the INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Frank Ojiako, APGA’s Emmanuel Nwachukwu emerged winner with 90,408 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Okwuosa who scored 19,847 votes and Donald Amamgbo of African Democratic Congress that got 2,889 votes.
Reacting further to the conduct and outcome, the APC candidate also described the exercise as a “charade, a rape on the people’s mandate”, and nothing but 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-elections, using the state security apparatus of Operation Udo-ga-chi and Agunechemba to intimidate, harrass and manipulate the process to their advantage.
He said, “Saturday’s election in all seven local government areas, comprises, Nnewi South, Nnewi North, Aguata, Ekwisigo, Ihiala, Orumba North and Orumba South that made 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 a total charade and a deliberate sabotage where the state government and APGA used the state security apparatus of ‘Operation Udo-ga-chi’ and other state actors to create an unfair advantage for them and renders the entire process compromised.
“Even when the Nigeria Police banned Operation Udo-ga-chi from participating in the elections, they were all over the polling units harassing, intimidating and laying siege to voters, when they were supposed to be protecting the people against kidnappers in a state where kidnappers and gunmen have been unleashing terror on the people.
“The people deserve elections that are free, fair, and credible and not exercises where the outcome is predetermined and compromised. Until our elections are adequately prepared for and conducted transparently, it will remain under siege.
“Saturday’s election took off as excepted and my party was coasting to victory when suddenly over 300 Operatives of Udo-ga-chi group made up of people with questionable characters, started invading all seven local government across Anambra South Senatorial zone.”
He also alleged that operation Udo-ga-chi equally laid siege to his residence and prevented him from casting vote, saying that he was lucky to have cast his vote before their arrival.
According to him, his political party highlighted the possibility of the incident before the commencement of the election, noting that they were aware that the State’s ruling party, APGA has made it clear that they would use all the state apparatus to intimidate and coax voters.
“They blocked me with over 300 operatives of Udo gachi group with a lot of miscreants covering their faces, wielding AK-47 with dangerous weapons like knives and, axe. Everything was captured in the CCTV. The Area Commander of Oraifite able assisted by the president-general of Oraifite Town Union and also the local government Chairman of Ekwusigo and House of Assembly member.
“They were all at the point of besieging my house and trying to destroy every properties in my house. I never knew that the state governor will descend so low to collaborate with all these entities and converged assemblage of miscreants and people of questionable character just to capture the by-elections.
“The conduct of Saturday’s by-elections in Anambra was a complete rape on democracy. All the incidents are captured in cameras. I had no doubt in my mind that I won the election. It is a serious concern that such a level of mayhem would happen in all seven local government areas simultaneously, including Orumba North and South LGAs, Aguata, Nnewi North and South LGAs among others.
“I feel obliged to address members of the public through media to know the situation. I urge my supporters to remain calm and asked them not to take laws into their hands because the level of mayhem was unprecedented. I know that people has right to defend themselves but I thanked God for my prevailing over my supporters not to retaliate.
“The state governor has failed and the system in the state under his care has also failed. He has plugged the state into insecurity. The function of every state government is to protect lives and properties of her citizens, but Anambra State government under Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has failed to restore security and safety of lives and property as well as economic of Ndi Anambra,”
I reject the behavior I personally witnessed during the exercise which I believe is aimed at bending the electoral process to the advantage of it winning candidate, Chief Nwachukwu.
Okwusa however, called on the relevant authorities to promptly investigate any reported violation of electoral laws and sanction offenders in accordance with the law, to deter future misconduct in the state and the country at large.
