Uba, Ngige, Nwoye Reject Anambra Poll

Three major political parties in last Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State have called for the re-run of the election in the interest of fairness, sustenance of the nation’s democracy and to show the world that 2015 general elections would not be a sham.
Labour Party candidate, Ifeanyi Uba who appeared on a live television programme yesterday did not only call for the cancellation of the election, he also asked for re-payment of their electoral expenses.
He believed that the election was tailored to favour the ruling party in the state, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
To the All Progressives Congress candidate, Chris Ngige who had last Saturday cried foul of the disenfranchisement of the people of Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area, re-scheduling the election for Sunday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was an attempt to stop the people from voting.
He wondered why INEC did not re-schedule the poll for another day but Sunday when most voters would go to church for worship.
People’s Democratic Party’s Tony Nwoye also lamented his exclusion from the polls as his name and that of his father and siblings were missing in the voter’s register.
Tony Nwoye also described last Saturday’s election as a “monumental embarrassment to democracy”.
Addressing a news conference in Awka yesterday, Nwoye alleged that the poll was manipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies for a particular political party.
He accused security agents of conniving with electoral officials and agents of a particular party to harass voters and chase away members of his party at the voting and collation centres.
He said members of his party sustained injuries in Enugu-Otu, Aguleri-Out, Aguleri Ward 1, Umuorom Ward 1, Orumba North and Orumba South, Aguata and parts of Ihiala.
According to him, “the rigging was perfected so much that Mrs. Josephine Anenih, my father, my uncle and others could not vote”.
The candidate also alleged that result sheets were not available in Obosi, Nkpor, Ogidi, some parts of Aguleri, Aguata and other places.
He said, “So whatever the outcome of the election will be, it is unacceptable to us in any way and in any form because people were not allowed to exercise their franchise.
“We thought that the election will be free and fair but unfortunately, the reverse is the case”.
Nwoye said he had made complaints about the incompetence of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukaogu, to conduct the poll but was not taken seriously by the commission.
He also faulted INEC on its decision to reschedule the election in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area to a day of worship, saying that he had directed that the election be boycotted.
He added, “Going to conduct election in Obosi on a Sunday is a fluke, a ruse.
“Christians go to Church on Sunday and we have told our people not to participate”.
According to him, “The election in Obosi is just to perfect the act of announcing a winner and we wish them good luck”.
Nwoye said that while rejecting the outcome of the poll as a candidate, he would consult the party hierarchy on the next line of action.
He said the party might call for total cancellation of the election and urged the commission to reposition itself for Nigerians to have confidence in the 2015 general election.
All the three parties believed that only outright cancellation of the poll can make INEC’s integrity intact.

L-R: APC Governorship Candidate for Anambra State election, Senator Chris Ngige, his Campaign Director-General, Mr. George Moghalu, and APC South-East Zonal Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, during a news conference on the conduct of the election in Awka, Anambra State, yesterday.