Executive members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State have rejected the outcome of the party’s House of Assembly primary election, where Ekegbue Emmanuel was declared winner.
Party officials, including ward chairmen and secretaries, are calling for a rerun of the exercise and have urged Governor Chukwuma Soludo to step in, describing the process as flawed.
According to results shared on social media, the incumbent lawmaker, Ikwunne Chimezie, scored 1,633 votes, while Ekegbue Emmanuel polled 4,721 votes to emerge winner.
Speaking on behalf of the local government executive, APGA chairman in Awka North, James Onwuka, said members of the party insist that Ikwunne remains the preferred candidate based on local support.
He stated that the election process was disrupted in several communities, with claims that voting did not hold in some areas but results were later recorded.
Onwuka listed affected wards as Ugbenu, Awba Ofemili, Amansea, Mgbakwu, and Amanuke, among others, where he said elections did not take place but figures were still announced.
The executives are requesting that the governor order a fresh primary in the affected areas, or allow a full rerun of the constituency exercise. Onwuka added that a transparent rerun would reflect the true position of party members in Awka North.
He further stated that if a rerun confirms the declared winner with a significant margin, the executives would accept the outcome, but maintained that the current result does not reflect ground realities.
“The candidate said to have won is not widely known among party members,” Onwuka said, insisting that the result does not represent the choice of the majority.
Ikwunne Chimezie has not publicly responded to the rejection, but a party source said he has filed a petition before the party’s appeal panel challenging the outcome of the primary.
