APGA wins Senatorial, House of Assembly bye-elections in Anambra

By Vincent Ujumadu

The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has won the Anambra South senatorial and Onitsha North 1 state constituency bye-elections conducted on Saturday.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Chief Emmanuel Nwachukwu winner of the Anambra South Senatorial district and Barrister Ifeoma Azikiwe as the winner of Onitsha North 1 constituency.

Nwachukwu polled 90,408 votes to defeat Chief Azuka Okwuosa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 19,812 votes, and Donald Amamgbo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who secured 2,889 votes.

The bye-election, which was contested by 16 political parties, was conducted to fill the vacant seat left by the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.

A former President-General of Ukpor Town Union in Nnewi South local government area,  Nwachukwu will be the first person from the area to occupy the senatorial seat since the current democratic dispensation.

He is also the second APGA senator in Anambra State after Senator Victor Umeh, who is currently representing Anambra Central senatorial district on the platform of the Labour Party. At the national assembly, he will be the second APGA senator, the only one being Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe representing Abia South senatorial district.

In the Onitsha 1 state constituency, Azikiwe polled 7,774 votes to defeat Mrs. Justina Azuka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who scored 1,909 votes. Azikiwe will be the second female lawmaker in the 30 – member state House of Assembly.

The ADC candidate is the widow of the slain lawmaker, Hon Justice Azuka, whose  body was discovered in the bush near the Second Niger Bridge on February 6, 2025 after he was abducted on 2024 Christmas Eve in Onitsha.

Mr. Ezennia Ojekwe of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ms. Njideka Ndiwe of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) received 1,371 and 655 votes respectively.

The returning officer, Prof. Ibiam Ekpe of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, who announced the results, commended the candidates and voters for their peaceful conduct during the exercise.

Meanwhile, the exercise was not without incidents as the state Deputy Governor, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, and the Commissioner for Environment, Engr. Felix Odumegwu, escaped being lynched by thugs in Nnewi South local government area.

It was gathered that the Deputy Governor was confronted by angry youths and held hostage for over one hour on the allegation of engaging in vote-buying. Commissioner Odumegwu, who accompanied him, was also attacked before security operatives intervened.

Reacting on the incident, Governor Chukwuma Soludo accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, of masterminding the assault.

“This is an act of thuggery. Government officials, including the Deputy Governor and the Commissioner for Environment, were attacked. It’s unacceptable”, the governor said.

The National Publicity Secretary of APGA, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, also accused Ukachukwu of sponsoring thugs to disrupt the election.

“The Commissioner for Environment was attacked by APC thugs sent by their candidate. If not for security operatives at his country home in Ezinifite, Aguata, the outcome could have been tragic,” Opara said.

He further questioned Ukachukwu’s presence outside his constituency. “How can Ukachukwu leave his home in Osumenyi, Nnewi South, and go to Ezinifite in Aguata to attack the Commissioner?” he asked.

However, Comrade Tony Uche, an aide to Ukachukwu, denied the allegations, insisting that the Deputy Governor and the Commissioner stormed Osumenyi, the hometown of the APC governorship candidate for the November 8 election, with a heavily armed security team to influence the polls.

“If you saw the number of vigilante personnel that came with them—over twenty trucks—you would understand the youths’ reaction,” Uche said, adding that “Ukachukwu never ordered any attack as it was the people that resisted what they perceived as an attempt to hijack the election.”

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