Abuja/Awka — The candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in last Saturday's governorship election in Anambra State, Dr. Andy Uba and 15 other contestants, have endorsed Governor Peter Obi, who was re-elected in the poll.

This is as the national leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (PAGA), Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, yesterday said the re-election of Obi set a new record for the state in international politics.

He lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its leadership for using Anambra as a case study on how elections supposed to be conducted. He said the election was credible, free and fair but lamented the disenfranchisement of many voters.

This is coming as Uba paid a solidarity visit to Obi yesterday. Uba said he came to congratulate the governor for his victory at the poll which he said was credible despite the shortcomings of INEC. He promised that they would work together to move Anambra state forward.

Receiving Gov. Obi and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of APGA led by Chief Victor Umeh on a solidarity visit in his country home Nnewi, Ojukwu thanked Anambra people for doing him proud by voting for Obi as he requested from them. He said only credible elections would move the country forward and bring about a stable polity.

Ojukwu further assured the people of the state that Obi would do better in the next four years even as he thanked them for their support and solidarity. He restated that Ndigbo should not relent in their struggle to protect and support the Igbo agenda.

The candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Mrs Uche Ekwunife also endorsed Obi, saying she was resting her case in God.

Meanwhile, the Anambra State House of Assembly has congratulated Obi for his victory at the polls. Speaker of the House, Hon Anayo Nnebe in a congratulatory message to the governor on behalf of the House wished Obi a fruitful second tenure and re-assured him of their cooperation to ensure efficient delivery of the dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

He said: "May I also use this opportunity to assure Your Excellency the readiness of the entire members of the state House of Assembly to continue to partner with your administration in the overall interest of the people and inhabitants of Anambra state."He said Obi's re-election has afforded him opportunity to serve the state positively and touch lives of the good people of the state.

Similarly, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu led 12 other contestants under the aegis of Coalition of Credible Candidates (COCC) where they endorsed Obi and pledged to work with him.

Nwosu said they will accept the result of the election for the interest of the state and to ensure that outsiders were not allowed to hijack Anambra State leadership. He said Obi should strive to make major strides in employment, security, job creation and carry the people along.

He said: "The coalition extends a hand of fellowship to our governor-elect, and the incumbent, Obi. We shall cooperate with him to lift our people out of poverty." He said the support by the coalition would assist the state achieve the desired change.

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate, Ichie Mike Ejezie at the lodge advised the governor to look into their manifesto and pick the good things they have and join in his own for better upgrading of the state.

Responding, Obi told Uba that he was the best campaigner during the election as he did not go into mudslinging. He commended him for the spirit of sportsmanship he exhibited. He said his campaign was devoid of bad language, name-calling and name-dropping.Obi who said he was making a general evaluation of campaign in Nigeria, invited other politicians to always see campaign as an avenue to tell the people what one planned to do for them and not to castigate one another.

He thanked Uba for his disposition as well as that of other candidates. He said for Anambra to achieve its aims and objectives that all hands must be on deck.

Meanwhile, Senate President, David Mark, chairman of the Peoples Democratic (PDP) election monitoring team in the Saturday's governorship election in the state, Ike Ekweremadu, and National Women leader of APGA, Princess Nana Dahiru have hailed the victory of Obi at the poll, as another act of God.

In separate reactions yesterday, they commended INEC for the peaceful and successful conduct of the election in Anambra State, which the leaders said had further heightened hope of a better election in 2011.

Mark urged Obi to carry all stakeholders irrespective of party affiliation and the people of the State on board, saying that unity of purpose was needed to move the State forward.

He noted with delight that Obi emerged through an electoral process adjudged as free and fair and implored him to extend his hands of fellowship to other contestants in the task of developing the State.

Mark said: "Governor Obi's election was adjudged free and fair. The people of Anambra State have decided through their votes and it behooves on the governor and the citizenry to close ranks for the development of the state.

"Election was contested by many candidates for Anambra governorship seat. At the end, the people decided. The people won and democracy triumphed."

He however praised INEC and the security operatives for the successes recorded in Anambra polls, but urged them to note the little shortcomings in order to correct them in the future.

The women leader at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, said Prof. Maurice Iwu had by that peaceful conduct of the governorship election further proved his critics wrong.

"He (IWU) has shown to Nigerians that he can do it right, adding that the out come of the poll was a clear message that the people of Anambra state can elect candidate of the choice."

But Ekweremadu in a letter to Obi said since "power is a gift from God, it should translate that those who climb the rung of power should count themselves lucky to have been chosen by God for a purpose.

"When I met with Your Excellency last Friday, I made it clear that I am a believer of God given authority and that this power derives from the declaration of the people. I do not count force and fraud as part of the pathway to power. I therefore, see your re-election as yet another opportunity to serve your people, Nigeria and the rest of mankind.

"As chairman of the PDP monitoring team on the election, I join our worthy candidate, Professor Charles Soludo in accepting the outcome of the election in the spirit of that belief that yet again, God has chosen you to pilot the affairs of governance in Anambra state.

"I am not unaware of the historic dimension of this victory, which makes you the first elected governor of the state to have the opportunity of a renewed mandate. Please, accept my best wishes for a successful tenure as governor of Anambra State.