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.

Anambra supplementary election: I cant be part of it, says Ubah

Center: Ifeanyi Ubah

THE supplementary election to conclude the voting for the next governor of AnambraState is to take place tomorrow in 210 polling units across is local government areas of the state.

However, ahead of the poll, the Labour Party candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Ubah yesterday joined candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Comrade Tony Nwoye and the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Chris Ngige in ruling out participation in the exercise.

Meanwhile, a potential judicial encumbrance against the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA candidate, Chief Willie Obiano was removed yesterday after his party rival, Rep. Uche Ekwunife withdrew a legal challenge on his validity as a candidate. Mrs. Ekwunife who took second in the APGA gubernatorial primaries had taken Obiano to court challenging his validity on the basis that he registered twice during the voter’s registration exercise.

Tomorrow’s supplementary election follows malpractises and logistical constraints that derailed the conduct of the election in the affected polling units. APGA candidate, Obiano was leading at the conclusion of the voting penultimate Saturday and Sunday with 174,710 votes against the 94,956 votes garnered by PDP’s Nwoye, 92,300 scored by APC’s Ngige and 37,446 scored by Labour’s Ubah. The controversies ahead of the polls nonetheless, the League of Anambra Professionals, LAP yesterday promised to work with whosever emerges the winner of the final election. Ekwunife in a statement yesterday said she was withdrawing the case due to pressure from family and friends and also, in the interest of the party.

The statement read thus: “In deference to pressure from my family, my state Governor, friends, Colleagues, clergymen, royal fathers, well- wishers and the larger interest of our great party, the all Progressives Grand Alliance, I have instructed my lawyers to terminate forthwith, Duit Ni, GHC/ AWK/CS/ 281/2013, which we instituted at the Federal High Court, Awka. “I also dissociate myself from all other suits in any form or colour against our party candidate, Chief Willie Obiano, by any person or persons, group or groups before now or in the future.

May I use this opportunity to affirm my loyalty to our governor, the National Chairman of our great party, our candidate, Chief Willie Obiano and the APGA family.” Affirming his withdrawal from the election, Ubah, the Labour Party candidate in a statement, yesterday, alleged that the previous exercise was mismanaged by INEC. Supplementary election A statement by Mr. Emmanuel Ibeleme, a member of the Ifeanyi Ubah Campaign Organisation said: “Labour Party will not take part in the supplementary election which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would hold on Saturday, November 30, 2013.

It has become absolutely necessary to issue this statement which is a final clarification on the matter. “So, all our members, all our supporters, all our associates, all our friends, all our admirers and all our sympathisers are by this statement informed that the Labour Party (LP) does not have anything to do with the supplementary election which INEC, contrary to reasons, said it would be holding on Saturday, November 30, 2013.” It further said, “this has been the consistent position of both the Labour Party and Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, the governorship candidate in the mismanaged and mishandled, generally accepted flawed governorship election of Saturday, November 16, 2013.

The reasons for our position have been well canvassed at all respectable fora and need not be restated here. However, this final statement is a restatement of our consistent position.” Meanwhile the League of Anambra Professionals, LAP, has stated that it would work with whoever emerges the eventual winner of the election, even as it urged voters to turnout for the exercise. The group in a statement by its National President Mr. Willy Nzewi said, “against the backdrop of INEC’s decision to hold a supplementary election, we the League of Anambra Professionals, a non-partisan body for the development of AnambraState, want the electorate to go out and vote peacefully for the candidate of their choice in the supplementary election.
Complaints of irregularities Though there were complaints of irregularities by some of the gubernatorial candidates and their political parties, some other political parties described the election as free and fair.

“AnambraState should never again be turned to a theatre of war. Violence is not an option. After all, the people have no other state than Anambra.’’ Meanwhile, the candidate of the Africa Democratic Congress, ADC in the governorship election, Chief Anayo Arinze, yesterday, called on his party and supporters to shun the call for the outright cancellation of the last election and participate fully at the poll. He said, “Given INEC declaration of the November 16 governorship election in the state as inconclusive, we in ADC believe that only a supplementary election will afford the disenfranchised voters another opportunity to exercise their civic responsibility.” He declared that, “the call for outright cancellation of AnambraState governorship election is evil, mischievous and unpatriotic and should be ignored by all well meaning citizens”.

Buhari, Tinubu, Akande, other APC leaders in street march Leaders of the All Progressives Congress APC, yesterday, stormed the streets of Abuja in protest against the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to hold supplementary governorship election in AnambraState tomorrow. The party had earlier called for the cancellation of the entire election due to what they claimed as wide-spread irregularities which allegedly characterized the exercise held penultimate Saturday.

The APC procession was led by leaders of the party, including: the National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande; former military Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and former governor of old Abia State, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu. Other notable members of the party who participated in the protest were the Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume and his deputy, Senator Ahmed Sani, Senator Kabiru Gaya, former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba and the former governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo. Armoured personnel carriers

The protest which commenced from the party’s national secretariat at Blantyre Street, Wuse 2, moved through Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent and was stopped some distance from the INEC headquarters in Maitama. Heavily armed policemen, soldiers equipped with Armoured Personnel Carriers barricaded the street leading to the headquarters to stop the procession. After they were stopped, Akande said they led the procession to protest against INEC’s handling of recent elections in Anambra and Delta states. He said: “We are here to say no to rigging. We have come here to hand over our petition to the leadership of INEC.

We demand the cancellation of the last governorship election held in AnambraState. We reject the supplementary election scheduled to hold tomorrow because of the wide-spread irregularities which took place during the first exercise held two weeks ago”. Other leaders of the party including Gen. Buhari, Tinubu and Onu spoke along the same line.” IG charges officers to remain politically neutral Rising from a strategic security meeting with members of the Force Management Team, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP MD Abubakar, yesterday, assured Nigerians of the readiness of the Force to ensure adequate provision of security in and around Anambra State in tomorrow’s supplementary election in some parts of the State

Speaking after a strategic security meeting with members of the Force management team in Abuja, he promised citizens of the state that earlier security arrangements for the November 16 guber election were still in place, noting that the Force will continue to maintain its optimal presence in the State until the successful conclusion of the election. The IG called on personnel of the Force and other security agencies to rededicate themselves and be truly committed towards ensuring a seamless and hitch free conduct of the supplementary election.

A statement signed by Force Public Relations officer, CSP Frank Mba, said the “IG charged the officers and men to remain steadfast, focused and neutral and exhibit the highest level of professionalism in the course of discharging their duties both during and after the period of the elections in the state”. The IG also sued for peace among the people of AnambraState urging them to cooperate with the Police and other relevant security agencies in ensuring an atmosphere of peace and order throughout the remaining phase of the election.

He enjoined the politicians, traditional rulers, and opinion leaders in the state to play by the rules and also help in educating their followers on the need to allow INEC and other Government agencies to see the process of the election through.

Anambra poll, danger looms ahead - Chukwumerije

Senator Chukwumerije

Senator Uche Chukwumerije representing Abia North, PDP, has said that the controversy trailing the November 16th governorship election was a signal of looming danger in the country.

Senator Chukwumerije stated this while speaking on the confirmation of Professor Akinola Muritala Salau as National Commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. He said: “INEC requires somebody like Professor Salau. I would continue to say that unfortunately the recent experience in Anambra State.

“The heated controversies that followed the governorship election of 16th November are the kind of things we must not allow to repeat themselves in 2015 elections if we want to save this country.”

“People like this Professor are those who are going to help us to succeed. What I want to emphasize is simply, I have heard many people saying with due respect to the two sides of the divide that any allegations made in Anambra were true or false.

“I know as a matter of Nigeria history, victors always say Oh that was impeccable election, losers always say, Oh we cry foul but the issue is there is no smoke without fire. I see a danger signal.”

Anambra Guber election: Security men halt protest by APC leaders at INEC office

Soldiers, riot policemen and other security agencies on Thursday confronted the leaders of the All Progressives Congress during their march to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja to protest against the November 16 Anambra state governorship election.

After a strategic meeting in the APC’s new secretariat in Wuse 2 in the Federal Capital Territory, which lasted about three hours, the party leaders took to the streets and embarked on a procession to INEC’s office in Maitama District.

The protesters however met a stiff resistance from stern-looking security operatives comprising the Police, soldiers, SSS and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

An Armoured Personnel Carrier, marked NPF 6359 C, measuring about 40-feet long, was used to barricade the entrance to the commission’s office, while the driver of the truck and police officers were pelted with sachets of water by the APC youths.

In their separate speeches, the APC national Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; National Leader of the party and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; former chairman of ANPP, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; and ex-Head of State, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), called for the sacking of INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, with immediate effect for his handling of the Anambra State governorship poll and the recent Delta State Senatorial by-election.

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.

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.’’

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.

Anambra Guber Elections: Abide by your words, APC tells Jonathan

President Jonathan

The All Progressives Congress has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to live up to his promise of a free and fair election in Anambra State on Saturday, saying the President must be believable at all times.

In a statement in Lagos on Thursday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said nothing on ground in Anambra so far points to the fact that Saturday’s election will be free, fair and transparent, despite the President’s promise.

APC said, ”Rightly or wrongly in our country, institutions of state take a cue from the President’s body language. They know that members of the ruling PDP who engaged in electoral malfeasance and brigandage during last month’s Delta Central Senatorial election were not punished.

“They know that security agencies that turned themselves to the armed wing of the PDP were not sanctioned. In this context, therefore, the President’s promise of a free and fair election will not mean much to those bent on repeating same in Anambra.

“The fact that one of the candidates in Saturday’s election, Willie Obiano of APGA, has continued to evade justice despite a glaring electoral offence committed by him, through his proven multiple registration, does not give anyone much confidence that INEC can indeed be trusted to ensure a level-playing field for all the parties.”

Jonathan’s absence at PDP rally stirs controversy

• OKUPE: President Not Under Pressure To ‘Play Safe’
• Has Enough Men To Galvanise Support For PDP
• Sambo, Tukur, Others Storm Anambra For Nwoye

The Presidency yesterday denied rumours that President Goodluck Jonathan was under pressure  “to stay away and play safe in the highly combustible politics of Anambra State and, therefore, be absent at the campaign flag-off of Mr. Tony Nwoye, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate in Saturday’s election.

Responding to the allegation that the President’s official trip abroad within the period of the “campaign launch,” was a tactful means of avoiding being present to please his political friends in the state, President Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Mr. Doyin Okupe, said there was “no such thing.” Okupe, who responded to a text message from The Guardian, said “Mr. President is out of the country on official visit to Namibia and will be returning from Gambia later today (yesterday),” the same day the flag-off was taking place.

A source within the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) had, on Friday in Awka, disclosed that “Mr. President would not be attending Nwoye’s official campaign flag off owing to strategic political considerations that make it quite risky for him to be in Anambra to scout for votes for the PDP candidate.”
Vice President Namadi Sambo, who was visiting the State for the second time, stood in for the President.
The source disclosed that some “well-entrenched interests” in the Presidency wanted to pressure the President into attending the party event in line with his similar visit to Benin during the recent governorship election in Edo State; “but political strategists in the Presidency convinced him that Anambra was a different ball game from Edo.”

For instance, the source said, “a good number of financiers of Jonathan’s presidential campaign are from Anambra State. And unless one wanted to be myopic, you cannot discount the incumbent Governor’s support for President Jonathan over the years. At last, reason prevailed that it would amount to dividing Mr. President’s friends and supporters if he comes to side with his party.

He noted that the pressure by those who wanted President Jonathan to attend the function was also doused by the claim that if he (Mr. President) goes to Awka it would confirm speculations by Prof. Soludo’s supporters that Mr. President failed to campaign for him in 2010 because he did not want to have anything to do with the former CBN governor.

The source added that the former Special Assistant to the President on Technical Matters, Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo, has been working quietly behind the scene winning new friends for President Jonathan, pointing out that the electoral worth of persons like Senators Ben Ndi Obi, Annie Okonkwo and Prince Ken Emeakayi have been harvested by Nwankpo for Jonathan’s cause.
“So it would not be wise for President Jonathan to come campaigning in Anambra when you have people like Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah and Peter Obi’s candidate, Dr. Willie Obiano, running for the same office as Nwoye,” the source declared.

He said the mindset of President Jonathan is that Anambra people should elect their governor without adventitious advantages and that whoever emerges on November 16, 2013 should acknowledge the contribution of the President’s electoral reforms to his victory and cooperate with him to push further the transformation agenda for the development of Nigeria.    

Attempts by The Guardian to cross check the facts with Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo could not yield immediate results as the former Special Assistant and Secretary to the SURE-P committee told the reporter on phone to “call me back on Monday, so we can talk.” But a reliable source in the state said the President would visit Anambra on Thursday for Nwoye’s campaign, a claim, which Okupe said he could not confirm. “Sorry, I cannot. (I) Don’t have information on that. Thanks,” was his response in an SMS exchange.

On his official response to the allegation that President Jonathan was “advised to stay away and play safe from the highly combustible Anambra politics,” the Special Adviser said: “No such thing. Mr. President runs an extremely tight schedule of national and international importance in the overall interest of the Nation.
“The PDP is the strongest (political) party in the land and has more than its fair share of men and women of means and stature that can, on behalf of Mr. President, unleash effective political machinery to galvanise support in Anambra.”

Meanwhile, PDP stalwarts from across the nation stormed the State, yesterday, to support Nwoye, who successfully flagged off his campaigns. Those who were at the event held at the Alex Ekwueme Park Awka, were  Vice President Namani Sambo, the  party National Chairman, Alhaji Bamangu Tukur, former National Chairman of PDP, Senator Ahmadu Ali, the National Vice Chairman South-East, Col. Austin Akubundu (rtd), former Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives Emeka  Ihedioha, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, National Publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metu, National woman leader Amb. Kema Chikwe and the Anambra State PDP Chairman, Prince Ken Emeakayi.

Others are senator Hope Uzodimma,  member PDP BOT, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Gombe State Governor, Alhaji  Ibrahim Dakwambo, Mrs. Josephine Anene,  among others. In his keynote address, Sambo said that Anambra PDP made a wise decision to pick Tony Nwoye as governorship candidate, saying he was chosen by God, who crowns. “Nwoye has the wisdom to take Anambra to greater heights, we need a youth as governor.

“He is the governor that will move Anambra forward and to progress. He will work with President Goodluck Jonathan to industrialise Anambra State”, he said, insisting that PDP is ready to take over the Government House in Awka.