Ngige declared Anambra Central election winner

The controversy over the Anambra Central Senatorial District election has been laid to rest.
Ex-Governor Chris Nwabueze Ngige of the Action Congress of Nigeria (AC N) was last night declared the winner.
Returning Officer Dr. Alex Anene announced that Ngige polled 68,208 votes to defeat his closest rival, former Minister of Information Prof. Dora Akunyili, who scored 68,164 votes.
Mrs. Akunyili ran on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Senator Annie Okonkwo of the Accord Party (AP) scored 23,346 votes. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate scored 18,578. Two people, Oguguo Okoye and Chudi Offodile, are battling for the PDP ticket.
The Returning Officer, who announced the result at the Tourist Gardens Hotel in Awka under tight security, said he had all authentic results duly written on Form EC8.
“No one else has the authority to declare the result of this election. No result was cancelled; all of them are intact”, he said.
A big row had broken out over the result as Mrs. Akunyili and Ngige claimed victory in the election.
Anene on Sunday alleged that his life was in danger and vowed to quit the job.
He said he was offered N10million, a duplex and a car to announce the result in favour of Akunyili, instead of Ngige, who, he said, won.
Last night, Anene said he wanted to complete his assignment.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukogu, had earlier announced the cancellation of elections in 10 wards across four local government areas. He ordered a rerun. He also announced Prof. Charles Esimonye as the new Returning Officer who would handle the rerun poll after Anene’s alleged resignation.
Onukaogu said areas where the rerun election would take place are: Enugwu-Ukwu Ward I; Nimo Ward I and III; Nri Ward II, which has two units; Obosi;  - Umunachi; Nkpor and Umuoji.
The wards are in Idemili North, Idemili South, Dunukofia and Njikoka local governments.
Onukogu said he canceled the elections in the four local government areas following protest from Ngige.
Charles Odedo of the ACN had earlier declared winner of the election in Idemili North/South federal constituency.
Akunyili last night declined to comment on the declaration of the ex-governor as winner of the election.
A lady who described herself as the Personal Assistant to Akunyili said on the telephone that her principal “is not the right person to answer this question.”
“If you listened to news this night (yesterday) you would have heard the results that were announced. That is what we know,” she said.