One election, ripple effects

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State

The deployment of well over 28,000 policemen, detachments of soldiers, naval and air force officers  gave Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State the reputation of being the most secure governorship election in Nigeria in recent times.

Prof. Atahiru Jega, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission said the commission had to go that far to improve on the elections it conducted in the past.

“The challenges we had in Edo were not repeated in Ondo and now in Anambra there is remarkable improvement both in the deployment of materials and attitude of INEC officials and that of the police,” Jega said.

Speaking in a similar vein, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, said, “It showed we meant business. The DIG has stayed here for two weeks and he is conversant with the flashpoints. For the first time, we were able to provide INEC with the names and numbers of policemen that manned each polling unit.”

Abubakar said the policing was not just for the citizens, the citizens were also free to police the police by reporting any policeman or security agent that went beyond his brief, assuring the people that such cases would be summarily dealt with.

It was by sheer providence that violent clashes did not occur on Thursday and Friday as long convoys of opposing campaign trains ran into each other as they made last -minute efforts to woo the electorate.

A clash was averted at the Nkwo Triangle, Nnewi where Ifeanyi Ubah’s Labour Party had taken over a venue that Obiano’s All Progressives Grand Alliance had earlier scheduled to use. While the Labour Party was on the ground holding a rally, the APGA train drove in, causing confusion and suspense.

Governor Peter Obi, who was leading the campaign eventually called out his people and they left the venue amidst jeers from the Labour Party faithful. The APGA train, which moved on to other parts of Nnewi afterwards, returned when they got information that the Labour Party rally was over.

Twenty three political parties presented candidates for the election but only a handful were able to demonstrate the seriousness needed to gather good votes in the election. The major players were Senator Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress; Chief Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance; Mr. Tony Nwoye of the Peoples Democratic Party; and Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah of the Labour Party. Mr. Godwin Ezeemo of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, also showed some muscle in the days leading up to the election.

A significant aspect of the election was a mass return of Anambra indigenes from abroad. Few days to the election, their presence could be felt in public places where they moved in their luxury cars to share good times with friends and family.

Mr. Okechukwu Okoro, who manages a bar at Amaenyi area of Awka, told Sunday Punch how he had to stay up late for several days to attend to the rising number of guests. The red light district of Iyiagu in Awka, also experienced an increase in human population.

The hotels in state did brisk business as most of them, particularly in the state capital and local government headquarters were fully occupied well ahead of the election. In Awka, big hotels like Whyte View, Trig Point, Finotel, Parktonian, Seagate, Marble Arch, De Geogold, Olde English and Queens Suites had been fully booked two weeks before the election.

The smaller hotels around UNIZIK and Arroma Junction began to be filled up in the week to the election. “We don’t have accommodation again till Sunday,” was a common phrase from front office staff of most of the hotels SUNDAY PUNCH visited during the period.

Some of the political parties actually took over some hotels, from where they moved to their campaign grounds. In Awka for instance, Trip Point Hotel, Nibo and Parktonian Hotel, Awka were almost entirely occupied by APGA chieftains, while Olde English was the base of APC. PDP leaders could be found at Marble Arch, while most of the operatives of Labour Party were lodged at Beverly Hills Hotel, Nnewi.

Some of the hotels were temporarily used as campaign secretariats, where campaign materials, branded textile and other supplies were kept.

The civil society organisations began to invade the state in the week before the election. Virtually every hotel hall, bar or restaurant became veritable spots where press briefings and emergency meetings were held.

While choice hotel accommodation was provided for senior police and security personnel that came for the election, the rank and file of the police were left in pitiable condition at the police headquarters, area command and INEC office where they slept in the open.

One of the policemen, who declined giving his name, said, “Na so police work be o! They just mobilised us from Oyo State to come here. No money, no accommodation. And you cannot complain. See where we are sleeping with mosquitoes and cold. Well na we ask for police work,” he said in Pidgin English. But the most significant of the developments that came with the election was the capital influx into the local economy.  Printers, tailors, textile makers, bus and taxi owners, car hire services, hotels, eating joints, community based organisations and NGOs, events managers, food vendors and eateries, banks, radio and television houses and even religious organisations made so much money while the campaigns lasted.

A spectacular aspect of the campaigns was the ‘importation’ of musicians to perform at the campaign rallies. Musicians like P-Square, Flavor, Tony One Week and others. Those who attended rallies held by Labour Party were entertained with the presence of international football stars like Samuel Eto, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Samson Siasia, Taribo West and others who took turns to attend Ifeanyi Ubah’s rallies.

The churches reaped bountifully from the campaigns as they made their facilities available for use at rally grounds. The most prominent of the religious grounds was the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Onitsha, whose centennial field hosted all the major rallies. In Awka, it was the Anglican Diocese that benefited most as it made the Emmaus House available for use by the political parties and other organisations that utilised it for their ends. A good number of the political rallies were held at the Emmaus House, while most of the political debates took place there.

The Women Development Centre, Awka and the Alex Ekwueme Square were also prominently used to conduct party primaries, hold rallies and meetings for political stakeholders. Mrs. Onyinye Nwankwo, a trader at Eke Awka Main Market, however, said the high demand did not lead to increase in prices. “Our prices still remained normal during the period. But you know Christmas is approaching, the rush will be sustained and maybe prices will go up because of Christmas.

But then the campaigns left some adverse consequences on the state. Some poorly constructed roads deteriorated under the heavy weight of the campaign trains. There was also the flagrant defacing of public places with posters and litters of flyers and campaign billboards. “It certainly will take a long while before we can clear the mess left by the politicians,” said an employee of the Ministry of Environment, who did not want his name in print.

By Friday evening, the main urban centres of Onitsha and Awka had become quiet and almost empty as people left for their respective villages to vote and observe the election. One person, who left for his village in Nimo, Njikoka Local Government Area, Mr. Justin Okafor, said, “These politicians have invaded the villages doling out monies.”

One woman, who collected N500,000 from one of the candidates on behalf of widows had her bag snatched. She did not only lose the money, she also lost her telephone, other cash and valuables in her bag, it was gathered.