ANPP Alerts On Plans To Rig Ebonyi LG Polls

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has alleged that the state government had deliberate plans to frustrate and rig the local government elections in the state.

The immediate past Ebonyi State Chairman of ANPP, Chief Livinus Nwambe and the present Secretary ANPP 2010 National Convention Committee, said in a release that part of the move is the enactment of obnoxious laws contrary to the Constitution and aspirations of the people.

They also alleged that before now, there has been a zoning arrangement in the wards, and local government levels, an understanding which the people and community leaders have existed peacefully with, adding that with the present PDP led administration’s usual disregard to the wish and aspiration of the masses, this arrangement has been glossed over and now and there are serious disagreements among the ward, local government and community leaders.

According to them, the state government amended the Local Government law on 29th June, 2010 and back dated the law to 1st June, 2010 without recourse to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“In their ignorance of what Option-A4 is all about, the state government went ahead to enact a law limiting option A4 to just open ballot system. Consistent with their usual total disregard of the responsibilities of leadership, this action was carried out without any form of referendum. Option A4 is understood to be seeking representation through the four tier structure; from the ward level, to the local government, the state, and finally to the national level’’, they said.

Furthermore, they “the state government again in its desperate bid to frustrate those who went to court or want to go to court to challenge the preparations for the election connived with the court workers to embark on a strike action few days to the election. This was to avoid aggrieved aspirants securing judgment to stop the elections”.

The Ebony Government, they said in its broadcast to the state warned the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) Chairman who is a PDP member not to conduct any election involving the opposition, especially the local government areas where PPA had candidates, recalling that because of poor preparations and intentions of the state government to rig the elections, ANPP withdrew from contesting the elections in the state.

Chief Nwambe urged all well-meaning people of Ebonyi State to remain resolute in the struggle for free and fair elections, as ANPP is being re-positioned to serve the people by popular votes in next year’s general elections.

Justus Awaji