Anambra: Tony Nwoye Wins APC Governorship Primary

A member of the House of Representatives, Dr Tony Nwoye, has emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Nov.18 governorship election in Anambra.

Nwoye, who represents Anambra East and Anambra West Constituency, polled 2146 votes to defeat his closest rival, Sen. Andy Uba, who scored 931 votes in the party’s primary election conducted on Saturday.

The result of the contest was announced by Chairman of the APC Governorship Primary Election for Anambra, Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno, on Sunday, at Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka.

The election started on Saturday and extended to about 4.10 p.m. on Sunday when the result was announced by Shettima after a long period of collation of ballots.

Breakdown of the result of the exercise as announced by Shettime showed that Chief George Muoghalu scored 525 votes to place third, while Ms Adaobi Uchegbu, the only female aspirant, scored one vote.

He said that total votes cast were 4,332, out of which 4,302 votes were valid and 31votes were invalid, adding that the total figure tallied with the number of ballot papers brought by the committee for the election.

Shettima described the election, which was contested by 12 aspirants as “very tedious”, but the “easiest” he had ever taken part in.

“It was an easy one for us as an umpire because none of the members of the committee has personal interest and that was why we did our best to make the election free, fair and credible,” he said.

Shettima said that the committee did everything possible to resist overtures from aspirants which would have adversely affected the outcome of the primary.

He commended the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for their roles in ensuring that the exercise was successful.

“I must thank the security agencies, especially the Commissioner of Police and state’s Director of Department of State Service (DSS,’’ he said.

While presenting a copy of the election result to Nwoye, Shettima urged him to do everything to ensure that APC won the Nov.18 governorship poll.

In his acceptance speech, Nwoye described the process that led to his emergence as “thorough” and promised to led the party to victory.

Nwoye, a medical doctor and former President of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), was born on Sept. 13, 1974.

He studied medicine at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and at the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.

The APC candidate hails from Nsugbe in Anambra East Local Government Area, the same area with incumbent governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano.

He is a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra and its governorship candidate in the 2013 election.

Nwoye won the election to the National Assembly in 2015 on the platform of PDP.