Willie Obiano declared Anambra State Governor

The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Willie Obiano, has been declared winner of the governorship election in Anambra State. The returning officer,  Prof James Epoke said Obiano satisfied all the requirements of the law “and is hereby declared winner. ”

The result showed APGA polled 180,178 votes, PDP polled 97,700 votes; APC got 95,963 votes,
while LP had 37495 votes. Before yesterday’s supplementary election conducted in 210 polling units in 16 local councils across the state where the exercise was cancelled during the November 16 exercise, Obiano was already coasting home to victory, having scored the highest number of votes and securing 25 per cent in 18 of the 21 local government areas of the state.

The 16 local government areas where INEC conducted the supplementary election are Aguata, Awka North, Awka South, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum, Anaocha, Ekwusigo, Idemili North and Idemili South. Others are Ihiala, Nnewi South, Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Orumba North and Oyi.  

Residents flout restriction order

Though there was restriction of movement in the affected areas, some people were still doing their normal businesses and traffic was light on the roads in all the areas. Soldiers were stationed along all the roads leading to Idemili North local government area and Onitsha South local government area, which had the highest number of polling units of 160 and 17 respectively where the supplementary election took place.  

APC, LP agents take part

Though the All Progressive Congress, APC, the Labour Party, LP, and the campaign organization of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Comrade Tony Nwoye, said they would not participate in the exercise, their agents were seen in many polling units. However, while APGA and PDP agents wore tags, those who claimed to be APC agents did not wear their tags. At Abatete in Idemili north, agents of the PDP and LP were at the polling units.  

Voters’ apathy

In all the polling units where the supplementary polls took place yesterday, there was very low turnout of voters and heavy presence of security operatives. In most polling units visited by Sunday Vanguard, electoral officials and sensitive electoral materials arrived early. But, despite the early arrival of these materials, the number of eligible voters, who came out for the accreditation exercise, was very low compared to the turn-out during the November 16 and 17 elections.

 Early results

At Zik Avenue, Onitsha polling units 8, 9 and 10, APGA scored 18 votes, APC – 8, while PDP polled 6. At polling unit 006, APC scored 9, APGA got 26, while PDP scored 2.  

REC commends Anambra voters, says there’s no boycott

Despite the low turn out, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, who supervised the election in Onitsha South and Onitsha North council areas, commended the people of Anambra for coming out to vote yesterday’s supplementary governorship election. Ikoiwak spoke at Okija Hall where voting took place in four polling units.  

APC out to cause mischief – PDP chairman

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Anambra State, Prince Ken Emeakayi, has accused the APC of causing mischief and deceiving Nigerians. Emeakayi spoke with journalists at Akpkogwe polling booth Ogidi ward 1 where he had gone to observe the supplementary election. He said that despite APC’s call on voters to boycott the election, the party has agents in all the polling units. 

INEC ignores Ubah’s case

Meanwhile, the supplementary poll held, yesterday, in apparent disregard of a case by the LP candidate in the November 16 election, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, seeking to stop it. A letter by Ubah’s lawyers, Olagoke Fakunle, SAN, and Co, to INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, dated November 29, 2013, notified INEC about the case. “You would have noticed that amongst the processes is a Motion on Notice for interlocutory in juntion restraining you from conducting any further election in Anambra State, with regard to the office of the Governor of the State, until the court has had an opportunity to review the legality of your pre-election processes towards that election”, the letter said. “It was for the reason of the urgency and importance of this action that the Federal High Court, on 28th November 2013, made an order to abridge the time within which you and other Defendants may file your responses to both the application for injunction and the originating summons.

The court also granted accelerated hearing of the matter by adjourning the hearing to 9th December, 2013. “We therefore hereby demand that you postpone the proposed supplementary election for the Governor of Anambra state to avoid a situation whereby you would have foisted a fait accompli on the court and the court in response will therefore be constrained to void everything you have done including the outcome of the proposed supplementary election, with attendant waste of national resources.

“The appropriate thing for you to do at this stage, therefore, is to enter appearance and file your responses to the processes you have been served with and await the court’s determination of the illegality or otherwise of the pre-election process leading to your decision to hold a supplementary election for the Governor of Anambra State, before you continue with any further plans for the conduct of any election of the Governor of Anambra State.”

The deflated balloons of Anambra State

Peter Obi, Anambra State Governor

The mass media have been described as the Fourth Estate of the Realm in a democratic society. This is because of its importance in educating, informing and enlightening the populace about the goings on in the other three arms – Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.

However, the mass media can be put to negative use to deceive and misinform the populace if their owners choose to be partisan or to propagate their selfish instead of national interest.

One such misuse of the media is the flurry of tendentious comments in the private electronic and some sections of the print media in the country on the governorship elections held in Anambra State on November 16, 2013.

A content analysis of the national newspapers generally referred to as the Western Press and analyses by ‘experts’ and commentators in the electronic media will clearly show their bias and deliberate efforts to thwart the will of the majority of the electorate in Anambra State.

Every attempt is made to turn reason and logic on its head in order to achieve an aim of cancelling an election where a clear winner had emerged.

One easily concludes that the reasons the ‘expert analysts’ give for calling for the cancellation of the election
range from ignorance of the provisions of the Electoral Act as amended to contempt and disregard for the good people of Anambra State as expressed in their use of their electoral mandate on November 16.

Is it not very unreasonable and ‘idiotic’( apologies to Chief Ojo Maduekwe) not to accept the clear fact that a party that secured 25 percent of the votes in 16 out of 21 local government areas in the state is the preferred political party in Anambra State? How do you compare this with Dr. Chris Ngige’s APC which secured the said 25% votes in only nine local governments or the candidate of the Labour Party who secured same in only his Nnewi North Local Government Area.

The reasons for the massive electoral votes for APGA in AnambraState are not far to seek. Yes, Dr. Chris Ngige, during the three-year tenure he stole in 2003 from the mandate given to Mr. Peter Obi rescued the state from buccaneers and godfathers who looted the state treasury hitherto. But he concentrated his massive road development projects in his Idemili North and some areas of Idemili South local government areas to the detriment of the 19 other local government areas. Hence, all the villages in his Alor hometown and neighbouring towns are connected with good roads.

The import of this discriminatory action was not lost on Anambrarians and they used the November 16, 2013 election to inform him in clear terms that he is Onwa of Idemili alone and not other local government areas of Anambra State.

Significantly he was only concerned with roads while other sectors of AnambraState economy were neglected. Mr. Peter Obi came and not only did many more kilometres of roads all over the state but also opened up Anambra North Senatorial District for the first time, thereby giving the indigenes and inhabitants a sense of belonging.

Let the wolf criers be informed that calling for the cancellation of the elections is not the solution to the electoral problem of Dr. Ngige. Even if the election is held 10 times over, Dr. Ngige will not win the mandate of Ndi Anambra. He is not the Messiah Ndi Anambra have been waiting for. After all his tenure as a senator representing Anambra Central District has not been inspiring so far.

He cannot be moving from the Senate to Government House Awka and back to the Senate as if he is the only star in the firmament in AnambraState.

When the Great Zik left the  governorship of Old Eastern Region of Nigeria for the centre after the 1959 general elections, he handed over to Dr. Michael Okpara who proved to be a much more dynamic person and gave Eastern Nigeria unprecedented economic and political development. Dr. Ngige’s era in AnambraState should be history by now and he should allow other brilliant minds to contribute their best endeavours to the development of the state.

The argument that because less than 500,000 voters out of a voters register of more than 1,700,000 voters cast their votes during the election also falls flat on its face as it is done without sense of history and voting behaviour in Nigeria.

The question to ask is how many voters were registered in the state for the 2011 governorship election in which Mr. Obi defeated Dr. Ngige and how many voted? Had voters in AnambraState ever reached a figure of 500,000 in previous elections?

The case of the university dropout who aspires to govern AnambraState is also a very laughable one. It reminds Ndi Anambra of the 1991 governorship election in the state when an illiterate was cruising home to victory until Anambrarians woke from their slumber and gave their mandate to a brilliant mind, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife.

AnambraState, inspite of the huge population of traders is too sophisticated for their affairs to be directed by semi-literate people sponsored by money bags with questionable credentials. Hence, the successful capitalist should concentrate his energy on developing his capital and leave governance to trained and equipped people of the ilk of Dr. Willie Obiano, a chartered accountant and Dr. Nkem Okeke, a cerebral economist. They are adequately prepared to move AnambraState forward.

Let the columnists, political analysts, and wolf criers who tend to weep more than the bereaved leave Ndi Anambra alone. They have clearly demonstrated who they want to govern them. No level of media propaganda or use of money by moneybags to intimidate INEC or bribe judiciary officers can thwart the will of the electorate of Anambra State.

Be wary of people like Akpabio, Nyako tells Jonathan

The seven aggrieved governors of the People’s Democratic Party, yesterday faulted Governor Godswill Akpabio over his claim that the governors could face possible rebellion from their followers if they moved to the All Progressives Congress.

Akpabio told state House corespondents in Abuja after an official engagement with President Jonathan that it was wrong for the rebel governors to threaten to leave the PDP for another party without showing respect to the President.

Akpabio said, “I believe that you cannot be a good leader unless you’re a good follower and I believe also strongly that leadership comes from God. So the question of rebelling against leadership does not occur because if I rebel against the leadership at the federal level, I should expect somebody also to rebel against my leadership at the state level, maybe from my own local government or thereabouts.

“And it is expected that as a governor state, I should be expected respect the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So it is not important who occupies the position. I think what is important is to give respect to the institution of the presidency in Nigeria. And that way, the international community can respect also Nigeria.

“I don’t see a problem in the issues of certain politicians wanting to change party, it is a normal thing in politics that people move from one political party to the other. ” But what is important is that we move on and the country moves on. And as PDP is very big and robust enough, with its branches in 774 local government areas in Nigeria, if you have five persons moving awY from PDP, you have 10 to 50 moving into PDP.

“You know, there are so many APC members who are approaching me on a daily basis that they want to move into PDP but I keep telling them that it is not yet time, let us resolve this issue of G-7 governors and then you see the big fishes that will come out of the APC. They are ready to come out and when they come out, it is going to be a boom. It something that the entire country will shout.

But the G-7 governors said the declaration by Akpabio, who is the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, amounted to an incitement of Nigerians against them and asked Mr. President to take note of the statement.
The governors, who spoke through the Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, noted with dismay the declaration of war on them by Akpabio and wondered who made him lord over them.

Nyako said, “Mr. President should be wary of people like Akpabio who wants to chase away other Nigerians from him so that he alone would be seen as a loyalist. “Mr. President should note the outburst by the Akwa Ibom governor and call him to order before he causes more people who would have been of help to him to ditch him,” Nyako said.

The governors restated their aversion to the leadership of the PDP, saying that what the party has been doing amounted to a disservice to the members and Nigerians.

“PDP as presently constituted does not promote justice and equity but constitutes a major setback to democracy. Indeed, the current PDP can best be described as the enemy of democracy.

“The leadership started by substituting its Anambra governorship candidates’ names in Abuja and ended disowning it’d candidate even after INEC had owned up to a dismal election that was seriously sabotaged.
The PDP has lost its voice in democracy and now constitutes  an enemy of what is just and honest,” the governors noted.

Write your handover notes, Baraje group tells Jonathan

THE defunct Abubakar Kawu Baraje  led splinter group of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP which prior to Tuesday had in its fold, the G7 governors, asked President Goodluck Jonathan to start writing his handover notes ahead of the 2015 Presidential election.

According to the group in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, joining the All Progrsssives Congress, APC, the opposition party was now the majority party in the country while it said it tagged PDP as a minority party, adding, “In the circumstances, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan must now start writing his handover notes because his ambition to manouevre the party structures so as to get a third term in office in 2015 has suddenly collapsed.

On dumping the PDP, Eze said, “Now, we have reached the stage that we can only say: “PDP, your sinking ship has been abandoned to you! You brought this misfortune upon yourself, now you must bear it alone!”
“As for us, we are happy to belong to the APC, where our value is appreciated, where we are made to feel truly wanted, and where we can now join forces with like minds in our struggle to liberate Nigeria from PDP’s misrule, which is soon to end.”

Recalling what happened on Tuesday at Kano Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, Eze said, “Late this morning, at about 11:46, the National Chairman of the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, formally announced the merger of the party with the All Progressives Congress (APC). The merger was contained in a communiqué which Alhaji Baraje read to journalists at the end of a meeting between the leadership of New PDP and that of the APC held at the Kano Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

The communiqué signed by Bisi Akande the APC National Chairman and Kawu Abubakar Baraje the National Chairman of NPDP reads, “A meeting of the leadership of All Progressives Congress, APC, and the new PDP met this morning at the residence of the Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in Abuja and after exhaustive deliberations the two parties agreed to merge in order to rescue our fledgling democracy and the nation.

“With this development, the G7 Governors of New PDP, namely, Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), are now members of the APC. The merger thus shoots up the number of APC State Governors to 18 while PDP’s shrinks to 16, with All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Labour Party having one governor each. A similar permutation exists in the National Assembly where we now have the majority with PDP and its allies in minority.

More details soon

Decisive factors of Anambra guber

THE much awaited governorship election in AnambraState has come, though it has not quite gone. The election was declared by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, as “inconclusive”.

Chief William Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, established a commanding lead with 174,710 votes, with Comrade Tony Nwoye, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, scoring 96,856 votes to place second.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Chris Ngige, surprised many of his admirers with his 92,300 third place vote, while controversial moneybag, Mr Ifeanyi Uba of the Labour Party, had 37,446 votes to show for all the billions he poured into his gubernatorial venture.

Obiano was the only candidate who not only led by a majority of votes cast but also secured 25% in 18 of 21 local government areas. He needed only 14 LGAs. However, due to irregularities, the INEC cancelled the elections in some polling stations and announced it will conduct a supplementary election only in areas where the poll was cancelled.

It enjoined any candidate or political stakeholder not satisfied with the conduct of the election to go to court, as the courts are the only authorities vested with the powers to cancel already declared results. Even as we wait for the supplementary elections to be organised, it is pertinent to examine the major factors that determined the result of the election.

It is interesting to note that the candidate of the PDP, Nwoye, has gone into cahoots with his rivals of the APC, Ngige and LP, Uba, to discredit the election in its entirety. They are calling for fresh elections. But on the other hand, Nwoye’s party, the PDP, APGA and 16 other registered political parties which participated have extolled the poll’s virtues. It is a classic case of osondi owendi. Some are rejoicing, others are aggrieved.

The Anambra governorship election of November 16, 2013 was really between the APGA and Chris Ngige of APC. Mind you, I did not say Obiano versus Ngige. Obiano was (and still is) non sequitur. He is still a dark horse, even if he is eventually declared the winner. The real object was APGA and all it stands for. Governor Peter Obi is an incumbent who has spent almost eight years in power and will be leaving in the next four months. Had he failed in his bid to transfer power to a successor, his legacies would be obliterated.

The party itself would go into oblivion or more appropriately, empty back into the PDP from where it made its original offshoot. That would have been the end of the experiment of having and “Igbo party”, which the late Dim Chukwuememeka Odumegwu Ojukwu successfully spent the tail end of his life battling to in-root. Predominantly Christian Anambra people would thus have handed over their state to a Muslim-dominated APC, which is essentially a Yoruba/Hausa-Fulani (or more appropriately, South West, North West and North East) party with Ngige as the local agent.

The Igbos would have come out as a people who are incapable of holding their own politically but rather so weak that they need to climb on the backs of other parties. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed described it by saying that Igbos collect from the highest bidder in their political games. Baba-Ahmed and his disgruntled cohorts have seen that their malicious aspersions on the Igbo have, once again, been proved for the waste of empty hot air. Anambra has proved its sophistication in politics as opposed to those who make all the loud noises about how sophisticated their politics when all they do is to follow sheepishly the self-serving dictates of an individual political overlord.

Ojukwu will be gratified in his grave that the “last wish” he requested from Anambra people in 2010 was not the last. Rather, it has been turned into a potent instrument for reclaiming Imo in 2015 and moving on from there. If APC had won, Igbo enemies would have rejoiced. The “deportation saga” would have gone without appropriate political sanctions.

The election in Anambra was not about Obiano, Ngige, Nwoye and Uba. It was a failed attempt of a South-West and North-West alliance to annex Anambra State rather than accommodate the South East (and South-South) as equal partners with the rest in a national party. This was one of the reasons that the election produced the result that we see. And I dare say, no matter how many times fresh elections are conducted the result will only be further confirmed. It was not a fluke.

The second critical factor that led to APGA’s victory was the strategic alliance between Governor Obi and President Goodluck Jonathan. Obi was the Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum when, in 2010, the Igbo people decided not to field a presidential or vice presidential candidate but to give their unqualified support to a cousin and next door neighbour, President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan when he emerged as the presidential candidate of the PDP. They followed up by giving him the second highest block votes during the presidential election, thus being critical factors in the making of the Jonathan presidency.

Jonathan has symbolically done quite a few things no leader has done for the Igbo people since the end of the civil war. These include the appointment of Chief Anyim Pius Anyim as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF. Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, the first post-war Igbo Chief of Army Staff is effectively “in office and in power” (given his exploits since he assumed office). Most importantly, President Jonathan directed Ihejirika to bring out the Nigerian Army and give Ojukwu a national burial fit only for former presidents or heads of state! These may seem merely symbolic, but they went a long way in reassuring the Igbo people that they have moved closer back to their pride of place in Nigeria. Jonathan is the closest thing to a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction.

Peter Obi and the South East governors (minus Rochas Okorocha, who used APGA to climb into power only to jump ship and join APC without consulting with Igbo people) have demonstrated their support for the President since the rebellion started in the PDP to the point where the ruling party has more confidence in Obi than any of the people tussling to emerge as governor of Anambra State on its platform.

That was why it was possible for the federal and state incumbency powers to be combined to ensure the victory of APGA in this election in preparation for 2015. What happened in Anambra was not unique. It was test-run in Edo and Ondo states.

In EdoState, Governor Oshiomhole, who helped the President to win in his state and assisted in easing the President’s Labour headaches, had to be assisted to retain his seat, while the PDP in the state was told to cool it. In Ondo, Governor Rahman Mimiko also helped the President to win in his state in 2011, as well as supporting his camp during the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, saga.

PDP in Ondo had to wait for Mimiko to ride on. Jonathan has learned to go beyond his party to look for friends and allies since the party is now full of people whose loyalties can no longer be trusted.

Anambra supplementary election: It is fresh election or nothing – APC

With the governorship election  in Anambra State declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and mixed reactions trailing the outcome, the interim National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, argues, in this interview, that the exercise remains irredeemably defective. Excerpts:

The governorship election in Anambra State has come and gone…

It has not gone.

Okay it is still ongoing but while some are calling for outright cancellation of the election,   INEC has vowed to go ahead with a supplementary election. What  happens if it goes ahead with the supplementary poll?
There are many options to be explored and such options will be discussed at the NEC meeting of the party. But what does INEC mean by supplementary election? The November 16 governorship election  in Anambra  State is irredeemably defective. We do not understand what INEC means by supplementary election. It is defective to the point that it cannot be redeemed either by a supplementary election or by election being conducted in isolated wards.

There are two reasons the November 16 election is irredeemable. One is that the strong holds of the opposition were denied voting materials. And this is a clear case of not just disenfranchisement but there was sabotage as admitted by even the National  Chairman of INEC. He  said a senior official of INEC sabotaged the electoral process.

We also have it on good authority that the voter register has been so tampered with that anybody whose names start with  O or U  could not find  his  names in the register. With these, you cannot start talking about a supplementary election. It is like somebody putting a potion of poison in a bucket of water. Are you now saying that you can save part of that water? You have to throw the whole thing away. So, I do not know what they mean by supplementary election. As for Anambra, it has to be fresh election or nothing and, beyond that, Nigerians want to know the name of that INEC official, his position and how he was able to sabotage the election.

Nigerians want to know who he was working for? This matter must not be swept under the carpet. If it is allowed to be swept under the carpet, it will   lead to an explosion which is better imagined. We hear from the grapevine that he is working for a particular state governor and that a lot of money has been uncovered and traced to his account. He also indicted a particular state governor.

And you think INEC will mention the official’s name?

This is now in the open and people are seriously concerned. Because what is done is not just sabotage, it is treason and this could lead to violent reactions on the part of people. Of course, Nigerians have a right to know and INEC has the obligation to tell us the name of this man and how far did he sabotage the election.
If they can do it in Anambra, it can be done in Ekiti, Osun and everywhere. So. the problem is much more fundamental than that. Again, it raises the issue of credibility of the register we have because if one person can so tamper with the register, to exclude names starting with certain alphabets, all needed to be done is just come to Osun or Ekiti and remove some names from the register.

So, this problem is very fundamental, we cannot start talking about supplementary elections; as a matter of fact, we should stop talking about Anambra now, we should start talking about the integrity of the INEC register.

Going by what has happened in Anambra, what do you think will happen in the elections coming up in Osun and Ekiti? Even the whole of Nigeria come 2015… If somebody in INEC can compromise the register, so effectively, that names starting with certain alphabets do not appear, this is a dangerous development and we are very worried about the integrity and safety of the data. Probably, at the end of the day, we might have to adopt another form of election because this is a serious matter.

Like what?

Again, when our party meets, we shall decide.
Protests  greeted the outcome of the election but an aide to Governor Peter Obi has come out to say that those who protested were not from Anambra but from outside the state…

Of what relevance is that? Is the election defective because of the protests? Or are people protesting as a result of the defective election? The question to ask is: Why are they protesting? Let us assume that those who protested are from Mars or Jupiter, the question to ask is, Was  election free and fair? Did Idemili North and Idemili South receive voting materials? Did INEC chairman admit or not that a senior official of his commission actually sabotaged the election? These are the issues, whether they are from Mars or Jupiter, it has no consequence.

The PDP has come out to hail the outcome of the exercise but the PDP candidate has faulted the process, does that give your party concern?

There is a proverb in Igboland which says it is bad to steal but don’t steal for the owner to notice. This is a situation where PDP has stolen for the owner to notice. From the statement of the factional spokesperson  for the PDP, Olisa Metuh, it is clear that the PDP apologists are working for the success of APGA.
How else would the National Publicity Secretary of a party describe, in superlative forms, an election, which your candidate was not allowed to vote?

The conventional thing for any political party is for you to be in touch with your candidate on the field and get first hand information on how the election is going. The candidate said it loud and clear that he was not allowed to vote, his name was not even on the register and yet, because they had a prepared agenda which was, as long as APC does not win, the election is free and fair.

Now, Olisa Metuh, from the records at our disposal, lost his own ward but, as long as APC does not win, it was okay for the prince and the PDP. It has  shown to the world what happened.   This one has boomeranged.

What signal is this sending as we approach 2015?

Well, three things are clear: the integrity of the INEC register is suspect from this moment on; the integrity of INEC as a whole is suspect from this moment on and, again the 2014 and 2015 elections should be watched because there will be huge potentials for violence.

Would you agitate for the removal of the INEC Chairman or the restructuring of the commission?

That will be a decision that our party will take.

Nwoye, Ubah and Ngige to shun Anambra supplementary election

From Left: Nwoye, Ngige and Ubah

The governorship candidates of Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party and the All Progressive Congress have said that they will  not participate in the November 30 supplementary in Anambra State.

The candidates are Tony Nwoye (PDP), Ifenayi Ubah (LP) and Chirs Ngige of the APC.

Ngige, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues at a briefing in Abuja on Saturday,  said that the three candidates would not like to be used as ‘guinea pig” to give legitimacy to the controversial election.

He said that the register used for the electron was printed in Enugu.

Specifically, he said that the voter register used in the Agulu ward of the Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, featured under age voters. Ngige insisted that the voter register given to the parties was different from the one used for the election by the INEC, adding that they had great pains as the state did not have enough NYSC members as presiding officers.

He accused INEC of using students of Unizik as presiding officers, saying, “We have evidence that Unizik students were used as presiding officers.” Ngige alleged that the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra State, Prof Onukaogu served as the head of a cabal that rigged the election, adding that the INEC administrative inquiry did not give them a fair hearing.

He said, “The INEC administrative inquiry is of no value and therefore we will not participate in the supplementary election. “The election has no result sheet. All we are saying is that the electoral officer of Idemili north, Chukwujekwu Okeke did not act alone. He is part of a syndicate that rigged the election.

“We will want to reassure Anambra people that we are here to fight for them. What happened in Anambra State was not proper. If those who rigged the election are allowed to escape, then annulment of my election in 2006 was not proper. They said that my election was tainted, hence it was annulled. I have repented.

“We have rejected the November 30 supplementary election”. Uba said, “ I will not be part of the November 30 charade.” The PDP candidate, Nwoye said he would not take part in the supplementary election slated for November 30. “My participation is to give credibility to the charade called November 30 supplementary election,” he said.

APC rejects supplementary election

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected Friday’s announcement by INEC to hold supplementary election in Anambra State on 30 November.

“We will not be a party to what is obviously a travesty of election by a self-discredited and conniving electoral umpire,” the party said in a statement issued in Lagos on Friday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

It expressed absolute shock and incredulity that INEC could even talk of organizing a supplementary election, despite the weight of credible evidence presented by the party as well as election monitors/observers that what transpired on Nov. 16th was nothing but a sham.

“This announcement has confirmed our worst fears that INEC is working in cahoots with the PDP and the presidency to ensure that no election ever counts in Nigeria. “The INEC Chairman himself was the first to admit that a senior official of the commission compromised the election in one local government in Anambra.

“This announcement has confirmed our worst fears that INEC is working in cahoots with the PDP and the presidency to ensure that no election ever counts in Nigeria”….APC

“We have examined all the accusations and allegations that have been made, and we’ve come to the conclusion that in spite of minor challenges, unfortunate challenges in the field, there is no substantial evidence to support outright cancellation of the process.”—Jega, INEC Chairman

“We on our own part were able to establish that materials meant for several LGs that were the strongholds of our candidate were diverted; that out of the about 1.7 million registered voters in Anambra, only a little over 400,000 were accredited to vote; and that the voters’ register was apparently tampered with to remove many names and disenfranchise thousands of voters.

”Yet, the same electoral body that admitted that the election was compromised has turned around to validate it by its decision to organize supplementary election instead of cancelling the parody of election and holding a fresh one. This is a sad day indeed,” APC said.

The party said it is now obvious that Nigerians cannot count on INEC to organize a free, fair and credible election anywhere in the country, hence Nigerians must now take their fate in their own hands to ensure that the principle of one man, one vote is sacrosanct.

Chairman of the INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega announced the new date for the supplementary election at the commission headquarters in Abuja on Friday, after its meeting over the inconclusive governorship election held on November 16 and 17, 2013.

Professor Jega regretted the challenges faced in the polls, but explained that the commission did all it could to make sure the election was free and fair. He however dismissed calls for outright cancellation, as he said INEC was yet to receive substantial evidence from any political party on reasons why the polls should be cancelled.

“We have examined all the accusations and allegations that have been made, and we’ve come to the conclusion that in spite of minor challenges, unfortunate challenges in the field, there is no substantial evidence to support outright cancellation of the process.”

“There is no other decision that we can make as a commission other than that of the Returning Officer, to conduct the supplementary election in those areas where the results were cancelled before the final return is made.”

On the petition by the All Progressives Congress, Jega said it contained no new information, that would have warranted cancellation of the entire poll. He also said the petition was not different from the complaints already expressed by the APC candidate, Dr Chris Ngige.

Professor Jega also revealed the identity of its Electoral Officer, Mr Chukwujekwu Okeke, who was arrested by the police for sabotaging the election in Idemili North Local Government. He said Mr Okeke would be charged to court.

PDP and the recent Anambra election

Left: Tukur, PDP Chairman and right: President Jonathan

The Peoples Democratic Party has made a U-turn on its position on the inconclusive November 16 governorship election in Anambra State which it earlier described as free, fair and credible. It also debunked claims in some quarters that it had abandoned its candidate in the election, Mr. Tony Nwoye.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH in Abuja, on Thursday, denied describing the election as free, fair and credible. He said that the party’s position which he expressed on Sunday was to commend the President and other stakeholders for providing an enabling environment for the peaceful conduct of the polls.

Metuh, had in the statement issued a day after the election, expressed gratitude to the President, security agencies and other stakeholders for the conduct of “a free, fair and credible election.” This, he said, was “in spite of any perceived hitch(es).”

The recant came as the popular masses group in the South East, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, said it would hold a two-day meeting at its headquarters in Okigwe, Imo State, where it will  deliberate on the outcome of the inconclusive election.

MASSOB told Saturday PUNCH on Thursday that the meeting would start on Friday and end on Saturday, adding that the group would make its position on the election known after the meeting.

Metuh had on Sunday said, “The Peoples Democratic Party hereby commends President Goodluck Jonathan for providing adequate security and the enabling environment for the conduct of credible, free and fair governorship election in

Anambra State last Saturday in spite of any perceived hitch (es). “In the same vein, we commend the entire people of Anambra State and all stakeholders who played key roles in ensuring peaceful and orderly conduct of the process.” He had also said while the party awaited the official result, “it expressed its satisfaction that the  election  was conducted without disturbances, despite the massive importation of political thugs by the All progressives Congress as well as their heinous plots to introduce violence to disrupt and rig the poll.’’

However, on Thursday when asked if the party’s position was not at variance with the position taken by its candidate, who joined other candidates in demanding  fresh elections, Metuh insisted that there was no contradiction.

He said “We commended the President and the electoral officers for providing the enabling environment for this election. “Mind you, what we said (last SUNDAY) was that we commended them for providing an enabling environment. We never said whether it was peaceful or credible or free and fair. “It’s a question of semantics, we were more concerned with the fact that APC wanted to rig the election and that they wanted to cause a lot of violence and mayhem in Anambra but the security forces were capable of handling the situation and they stopped them.

“It has nothing to do with the conduct of the election but the creation of the enabling environment for a peaceful, credible, free and fair poll.” 

Metuh also denied claims that the PDP was conniving with the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance in order to gain support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 ambition. He said the point needed to be made that the PDP fielded Prof. Charles Soludo as candidate in the 2011 Anambra governorship election, worked hard towards his election but that this did not prevent APGA from supporting  the President.

The spokesman said, “So the notion that we are doing this or that because of the 2015 Presidency is not true.

“With what has happened before with the norms and the practice of the party in the past, we don’t need to justify any such thing.” MASSOB meeting which began on Friday, Saturday PUNCH learnt,  was convened  to enable the group to present a joint position on the election.

Before the November 16 election, MASSOB had declared that it was not in support of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the ruling party in the state and the leading party in the inconclusive election going by the results so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission. MASSOB members are largely  poor masses in the South East region.

The Director of Information of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, said,  “We will definitely come out with our position on Saturday.” Though Madu declined making  personal comments on the election,  he said MASSOB was concerned about the conduct of the election and the outcome. “That is why we are going to discuss it. Please, just be patient I will let you know what our position will be on Saturday,” he said.

Already, security agencies in Awka,  the state capital are said to be  having a herculean task containing the number of pro-cancellation and anti-cancellation demonstrators that have been besieging the INEC office  to either protest or support the election that the electoral body itself admitted was shoddy.

There are fears that this situation may soon get out of hand if left uncontrolled. A pub operator at Aromma 

Junction where demonstrators usually meet before proceeding to INEC office, Mr. Ken Okoye,  said, “It is a matter of time before these groups will clash and throw the state into another round of political mayhem.”

But the Secretary General of the  apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo organisation,

Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, has appealed  to the Igbo to remain peaceful and allow  the process of the Anambra election to run its course. “Igbos must maintain the peace because what will be will be,” he said.

He told Saturday PUNCH that  though Ohanaeze would hold a position on the election, it would want INEC to complete its work.. He said, “We will want INEC to complete election and make its announcement. We cannot comment at this point in time.”

However,  a lawyer and a former local government chairman, Mr. Clems Ezika, said  INEC should cancel the election, adding that the responsibility of getting the state out of the logjam rested with the electoral body.

Ezika said Section 30 – 34 of the Electoral Act empowered INEC to cancel elections that have not been concluded.

Meanwhile the police in Anambra State have warned against illegal gatherings in the state. The force has also asked  trouble makers to stay clear of the state. 

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka, told Saturday PUNCH that the command was prepared to deal with anyone that foments trouble in the state.

INEC official arrested, 20 others escape robbery attack

Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC Chairman

The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, Mr Bala Nasarawa, on Sunday confirmed the arrest of an electoral official involved in Saturday’s governorship election in the state.  Nasarawa told the News Agency of Nigeria in Awka that the  command was interrogating the official  whose name he declined to mention.

The commissioner was reacting  to  statement credited to the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, that the official,  who bungled the election  in Obosi,   Idemili North Local Government Area, had been handed over to the police.

The police chief said,” I can confirm to you that we arrested one official; but I don’t know if that is the one you are talking about.’’ Jega had  said on a live television programme monitored in Abuja, that  the  electoral  officer was being detained by the police in Anambra State.

He had said,  “We made all the preparations and decentralised the process of distribution of materials in order to ensure that they get to the polling units in time for the commencement of the election. “That was before Saturday. Unfortunately and regrettably – we are humans. We can do all the preparations, but if people are determined to subvert the process, one way or the other they will subvert it.

“So, they used our official. I think we should be very careful when we have about 12,000 members of staff in INEC and when one person commits an offence, you use it to generalise or condemn everybody in INEC.

“Our electoral officer in charge of Idemili North LGA , for inexplicable reasons, messed up the distribution of ballot  papers and result sheets. That was the cause of the delay in the distribution of materials in Idemili.

“All materials were to have been distributed by Friday evening, but for some odd reasons, they made sure that they held onto some of the result sheets, and they also gave wrong result sheets to different polling units.

“For Anambra election, as we did in Edo and Ondo  states, every polling unit has a unique result sheet. So, you cannot take one result sheet to a different place, because it will not work.

“I assured the stakeholders when we met in Awka that materials must get to the polling units before commencement of  the election.  “So, when we discovered at about 1am  that there was this mix-up, and we tried to reach the electoral officer and the supervisor and there was confusion, and we knew something was fishy.  We said there would be no deployment until we sorted out the problem.

“As I speak, we have handed over the electoral officer to the police because clearly what he did is a sabotage of the electoral process, including the LGA  supervisor. “It took us until about 1pm to be able to sort out what they had jumbled up. “We communicated with the community as at 1pm that we were ready to distribute to all the other wards, and materials were distributed.”

Jega said INEC officials consulted with the community before rescheduling the election. Meanwhile, 20 election officials in the state were attacked in the early hours of Sunday by armed robbery suspects along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway.

One of the officials, who preferred anonymity, told NAN  in Awka, that they were attacked at about 3am while returning from Ihiala after the election.  The electoral officer said they were rescued by soldiers who were covering them from behind. According to him, the suspects stopped them, but on sighting the security vehicle trailing behind, they took to their heels. He said, “Some of us had already jumped out of the vehicle but  the timely intervention of the soldiers saved us.

“As soon as the robbers saw other vehicles behind us in a convoy, they escaped into the bush.

“I wonder what would have happened to us, if there was no adequate security.’’

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.

Nollywood star declares victory for APGA

Bob-Manuel Udokwu

Nollywood actor, Bob-Manuel Udokwu, says the All Progressives Grand Alliance is already celebrating the possible victory of Willie Obiano at yesterday’s Anambra State governorship election. Udokwu said in Awka, after voting, that the celebration became necessary because most Nollywood actors hail from the state and most of them cast their votes for Obiano. He added most of them saw the need for continuity and cast their votes for the APGA candidate.

He dismissed fears that Nollywood stars from the state voted for other candidates at the last minute, having honoured their invitations for parleys just before the election. “Some people play to the gallery, and some people answer calls for inducements. If that was the case, then it does not imply that most of them decided to change their minds at the eleventh hour,” said Udokwu.

He asked, “Do any of them (the other candidates) plan for the industry? I don’t think so. Otherwise, why didn’t they invite them (Nollywood practitioners) for the dinners before now?” “For them to have invited them for dinners hurriedly organised, it shows the desperation. They just want to be seen taking pictures with my colleagues – the Nollywood stars. “Every one of us is wise, it would not pay to vote against APGA government that has strived to ensure the growth of the industry.”

Udokwu said continuity was what was needed in Anamnbra State.

He said, “Willie Obiano is just the best man to succeed Governor Peter Obi. He has a distinguished career in money management; he knows what is best for Anambra. “He had worked with Governor Obi for over 10 years in the banking industry. He surely knows how best to consolidate on the existing programmes and projects.” He added, “I tell my colleagues that it is not all about inducements, but about collective growth.

“Those who were inviting actors for dinners whenever they wanted something in the past were only interested in self actualisation, not collective growth.”

“As the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Obi on Creative Media, I have submitted proposals on how we can fast-track the growth of the industry and the government is already working on that.”

Nwoye's name missing in voter register

Tony Nwoye, PDP's Anambra Guber Candidate

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Anambra State governorship election, Mr. Tony Nwoye, was prevented from voting, as his name was declared missing from the voter register.

Also missing from the register were the names of his father and uncle.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the candidate discovered the omission when he went for accreditation at the Offia-Nta polling unit 004 in his Nsugbe Ward. He said INEC officials assured him that the problem would be resolved but he did not have the chance to vote.

Nwoye said, “I am disappointed at the turn of events here. I was here as early as 8am to be accredited with my father and uncle but I found out that our names were missing in the INEC register. “I was a House of Assembly candidate for Anambra-East and West in 2011 and I voted in this same polling unit.”

“At which point did my name get missing from the register?’’ he queried.

The governorship candidate berated INEC the development and wondered how the commission would perform in 2015, if it failed to get it right in a state election. He said, “The development does not augur well for the country, since INEC cannot get it right in an isolated election.” The candidate, however, said he was sure of victory, in spite of the challenges.

Similarly, the All Progressives Congress, Sen. Chris Ngige, accused INEC of betrayal by the “shoddy manner’’ it conducted the election. Ngige accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukogu, of rigging. He alleged that the INEC official single-handedly went to the Central Bank of Nigeria to collect the voting materials without party agents.

Ngige said the voter register given to political parties by INEC before the election was not the same with the one they saw in the election, which had some names missing. Ngige alleged that voting materials were brought without result sheets in areas considered to be his stronghold. He said he was still watching the situation.

The APC candidate also alleged that in his ward in Alor and other communities in Idemili-North and Idemili-South, accreditation was delayed to disenfranchise the people. However, the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, said in Otolo Nnewi Ward 1 that he had no reason to fault the election until the results were released. “I am hopeful they will do well, for now, no complaint,” he said.

Similarly, the All Progressives Grand Alliance candidate, Mr. Willie Obiano, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election.

APGA: Umeh's faction restates stand against Political Parties’ Merger

 

 

The Victor Umeh-led All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has reiterated its stand that it will not merge with any political party in the country ahead of the 2015 general election.

The party  National Secretary, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi told journalists in Bauchi at the weekend that the party would not lose its identity to merge with any political party, adding that it will field a presidential candidate for the 2015 elections.

“On the issue of merger, we have been saying it times without number that APGA has not joined merger with any political party. APGA will field a presidential candidate in the 2015 general election, APGA is not in All Progressive Congress (APC)” Shinkafi stated. Shinkafi, who was in Bauchi to condole the family of the state APGA chairman, Alhaji Danjuma Musa, said however that Governor Rochas Okorochas of Imo State had in his individual capacity joined the merger bandwagon.

He added, “So what we are trying to tell you is that we are not part of the merger, we will retain our identity as APGA, but we will hold talks with any progressively-minded political party to go into alliance.”
He further explained that APGA as a political party in line with the Electoral Act as amended would not lose or surrender its identity to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to go into merger with three other political parties.

Shinkafi, who also said APGA would deal decisively with any erring member of the party especially those that opted for the merger, stressed that punishments relating to such offences being committed by members were clearly spelt out in the constitution of the party.

“So nobody is above the law, nobody is above the constitution of the party and the party has supremacy over any individual or a governor, even (PDP) is bigger than Jonathan, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) is bigger than Tinubu, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) is bigger than Buhari,” he said. Shinkafi decried a situation whereby governors of the PDP are ganging against the National Chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur, and are even calling for his removal. He recalled that the recent Court of Appeal judgment that upheld the Victor Umeh-led national leadership of APGA was a clear manifestation that the party was supreme over its members.

Shinkafi similarly expressed dissatisfaction over the way and manner the Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, tried to sell APGA to the PDP, describing him as insincere person who has one leg each in both APGA and the PDP. The APGA scribe further alleged that the adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan by the party in the 2011 elections without any monetary condition or otherwise had fetched personal benefits to Obi and his tribe.

“After the election was fought and won, Jonathan gave three ambassadorial nominees to APGA, one Special Adviser, 28 other political appointments, all these were carried away by Obi, all those positions were given to Igbos, none was given to Hausa, South-south, South-west, nobody from these parts of the country was appointed a cleaner,” he said. He opined that if Jonathan wanted to relate with APGA, let him relate with the party not an individual as Obi is saying bye-bye to his tenure which expires on March 17, 2014.

Meanwhile, a chieftain of APGA and the Secretary General of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Chief Willy Ezugwu, has called on the INEC to as a matter of urgency investigate the Obi-led national convention of the party conducted last Monday. Ezugwu made the call in Enugu yesterday while describing the convention as an eyesore, adding that he was still confused at the role INEC played in monitoring the proceedings at an unholy time of 1a.m.

“We are calling on INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to investigate the fraudulent conduct of the convention purported by Obi and also the authorisation of the INEC personnel that monitored the proceedings of the 1 a.m. to 7a.m. during last Monday’s convention 

“How did INEC itself got entangled in this because I doubt if Jega himself was given adequate notice of information to be part of such a deal to monitor a convention at that unholy time or is INEC no longer a public institution?” he asked.

Ezugwu also wondered why Obi should applaud the illegal convention and while his cohorts should discredit the Court of Appeal ruling where three judges gave a ruling for stay of execution and ordering the reinstatement of the national chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
 

“I do not see any reason why Obi should support such an illegal convention by applauding it and his aide, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr Joemartins Uzodike, disregarding the Monday Appeal Court judgment by describing it as "judgment in futility."

He also called on the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate the 24 impostors claiming to be state party chairmen of APGA that signed the notice of the congresses and convention, citing a similar case which is now pending in court where Sadiq Massala claimed he had the mandate of 20  NWC members to remove Chief Victor Umeh from office but INEC later discovered the 11 of the so-called signatories were impostors.

He asked Obi and his lieutenants to desist from destroying the party which they all laboured to build.
“Obi and his cohorts must refrain from destroying APGA and disobeying court judgments since he himself was a beneficiary of the same court judgments,” he said.

Source: Thisdaylive