I was offered N10m bribe – Returning Officer

 The Election Returning Officer for Anambra Central Senatorial district election, Mr. Alex Anene, on Sunday alleged that he was offered N10m, a duplex and scholarships for his children to persuade him to declare a particular candidate winner of the Saturday poll.

Anene told journalists that he abandoned his post and failed to declare the election result because his life was threatened.

He however would not say the candidate that was threatening his life or who he was asked to return as the winner of the election. He said he was a staff of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

Anene’s abandonment of the process practically threw the election for the Anambra Central Senatorial zone into a stalemate. The Independent National Electoral Commission is yet to issue a statement on the matter.

Prof. Dora Akunyili of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and Dr. Chris Ngige of the Action Congress of Nigeria were in close race for the senatorial seat before Anene abandoned his post.

But at a secluded ceremony in the office of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Awka, the Returning Officer for Anambra South, Prof. Nick Okoye, declared Dr. Andy Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the senatorial election in the zone.

The declaration was said to have been taken away from the zonal collation centre in Nnewi because of the fear of Uba’s opponent in the PDP, Mr. Nicholas Ukachukwu, who insisted that he was the rightful candidate of the party.

Ukachukwu had mobilized his supporters to Nnewi where he hoped to be declared the winner of the election. While Uba was endorsed by INEC as the PDP candidate for Anambra South, Ukachukwu was endorsed by the national working committee of the PDP

Source : Emmanuel Obe, www.punchng.com