Governor Peter Obi of Anambra on Monday said that neither All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) nor himself rigged the Nov. 16 governorship elections in the state.
Obi spoke to State House correspondents after the launch of the third phase of the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWiN) programme by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa.
“Let me tell you, in the election in Anambra State, I can go to any where as a Christian and tell you there was no issue of rigging.
“Those who wanted to rig were prevented from rigging and they are crying,’’ he said.
The governor said APGA as a popular and acceptable party in the state would floor any opposition party in any election.
He also faulted the calls for the cancellation of the entire elections by the opposition parties.
“Go to the people of Anambra State, if you repeat that election 10 times, they will never win.
“What are they even talking about cancellation, the regulation, the rules or the law says that you have to win at least 25 per cent in two-third of the local governments
“In the Anambra case, it is 14 local governments that make up the two third and only APGA can boast of that because we won in 18 local governments.
“The nearest, which is PDP, won in nine local governments, APC is seven, and I can tell you that even those results they are shouting about, their own are those that are doubtful.
“Everything for APGA is real. I cannot be part of rigging, I don’t have money to pay for people. You know those who spend money and I am not one of them.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls the election conducted on Nov. 16 was declared inconclusive by INEC.
The national electoral body had also fixed Nov. 30 for the conduct of supplementary election in the state.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had openly admitted irregularities in the conduct of the polls and apologised on behalf of the commission.
NAN also reports that some stakeholders had rejected the supplementary election proposed by INEC and called for the outright cancellation of the polls.