The Saga Called Anambra State Election, 2013

The story has been ever awful since the just concluded Anambra state gubernatorial election, from every indication, the election seems rigged…

The APC candidate Sen. Chris Ngige foresaw the incidence before it happened, on November 15, he publicly wrote on his facebook page “I keep warning INEC that Prof.Onukogu is not qualified to be the Resident Electoral Commissioner in this election. That man was part of the sham in 2011. Some of the elections he conducted were upturned by the courts while some were cancelled. He has neither demonstrated convincing neutrality nor the capacity to guarantee impartiality. I am warning Prof. Jega about this man. That man must be changed. The rat does not eat the fish of a man who is awake. We are wild awake like a fish in the water. We are ready and willing to resist any Iwu ruwuru in this election.”
He seems to be celebrating his victory even before it came as he further wrote ” The truth is coming out, Ahead of tomorrow’s Anambra State governorship contest, a Premium Times poll has already called the election in favour of the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Chris Ngige as the winner of the election. Then online poll still ongoing on the online newspaper website with the caption ‘Who do you think will win Anambra governorship election?”, shows Ngige leading with a wide margin of 78% followed by Willie Obaino of APGA with a distance 12%. Tony Nwoye of PDP did not fare better as he came 8% while the PPA candidate, Godwin Ezeemo managed 2% votes”
His warning about the foreseen rigging of the election seemed not to change what was forthcoming as after the said election, complaints were still trooping in from various citizens and contestants as regards the election, a day after the election, he had this to say “My people, thank you for the overwhelming support you have shown me. I know that you yearn for change and came out en masse to vote for change but was prevented by INEC from voting for the change you desire. This is not the end of it. I will keep you posted.”

Latter that same day, women of the state were reportedly said to be protesting the treachery at INEC office, Awka.
He further posted the CNPP Press statement two days after the election thus “CNPP PRESS STATEMENT - 18 November 2013 RESIGN JEGA! RESIGN JEGA! RESIGN FORTHWITH! Conference of Nigerian Political Parties {CNPP} calls on Professor Attahiru Jega, chairman Independent National Electoral Commission {INEC} to resign forthwith for betraying the Anambra electorate and Nigerians in general by conducting a sham election, in the name of Anambra State Governorship Election. We are making this call on the fact that the eminent Professor Jega from available records bungled the single Anambra State gubernatorial election; and this being the case, what are the guarantee that he will not bungle the 2015 general elections? We were perplexed that up till this Monday morning when the gross irregularity were clearly made public by the Returning Officer, Professor James Okuoke resulting in the declaration of the result as inconclusive and cancellation of 113,113 votes; Professor Jega behaving like a hired hand on a television interview Sunday afternoon had sort to defend INEC and its failed exercise. Jega to our consternation was nervously harping on only 65 Polling Units in Obosi Electoral Ward, even when by his own admission the INEC Electoral Officer whom he claimed had been arrested had messed up the electoral process in the entire Idemili North LGA with 306 Polling Units and total registered voters of about 174,000; claiming that he cannot cancel the total election because of one Electoral Officer’s malfeasance. The first valid question to our eminent professor is, is the 113,113 cancelled votes from only Idemili North, where no election took place and where an postponed election was supposedly conducted at Obosi and later extended to Abatete and Nkpor Ward 2, without official notification? Secondly, is it with good conscience that an election was fixed on a Sunday in a predominantly Christain community? The third valid question to the eminent professor is can we trust the fate of Nigerians in an incapable, inept and compromise hand to conduct the more sensitive and delicate 2015 general elections? In sum, we call for the total cancellation of the Anambra State Governorship Election. In fact the Anambra State Governorship has in no uncertain exposed Professor Jega’s palpable ineptitude, gross incapacity, utter negligence and near compromise in managing elections; therefore Professor Jega should resign forthwith. Mr Osita Okechukwu National Publicity Secretary CNPP”

He further had this to say “The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the announcement by INEC that it will hold a supplementary election after declaring last Saturday’s governorship poll in Anambra inconclusive, insisting that only the total cancellation of the election will be acceptable. In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also called on INEC to come clear on how the election was sabotaged. APC accused INEC of not taking seriously the opinions of Anambra residents as well as local and foreign observers that most of the registered voters in the state were disenfranchised during the election. ”First, the electoral commission proposed make-up election in only 65 polling units in Obosi before scaling things up to a supplementary election ‘in those areas where election was cancelled’. But we say, without equivocating, that a total cancellation of the election and the organization of a fresh poll, under the supervision of a credible Resident Electoral Commissioner, will be acceptable to our party,” it said. ”It is not enough for INEC’s Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to tell the nation that an INEC official sabotaged the election in a certain part of the state, he must tell the nation who this fellow is, who he/she is working for, what is the extent of the damage he/she has done to this and previous elections, and whether or not he/she has access to the commission’s database of voters’ register, which was apparently tampered with for Saturday’s election. ”Prof. Jega must also tell Nigerians why 16 Electoral Commissioners, who migrated to Anambra days before the election ostensibly to supervise things, could not ensure the success of an election in a single state, when even a polling unit behind the INEC office in Awka did not get voting materials till after 9 am on election day,” it said. Meanwhile, the APC has accused the PDP of being an accessory to the election anormaly in Anambra, going by the statement credited to the party that the election was free and fair.”

And finally ten hours ago, he wrote “Fallout of Anambra Guber: I Did Not Rig Alone - Arrested INEC Official A principal actor in the controversial Anambra governorship election of November 16 has reportedly made sterling revelations to his interrogators in Abuja. Mr Okeke Chukwujekwu, the electoral officer in charge of Idemili North local government area of Anambra State, currently in police detention over his role in the electoral saga, was said to have told his police investigators that he was “being used and dumped”. The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, had, in the heat of the controversies generated by the flawed poll, admitted that the “electoral officer” in Idemili North “messed up” and that he would be handed over to the police for prosecution. Chukwujekwu was moved to Abuja on Sunday, just as INEC said it was conducting a probe into the deliberate sabotage of the governorship election. A top official involved in the election confided in LEADERSHIP yesterday that the arrested INEC official had made useful statements even as he was apprehensive that top directors of INEC might be “implicated”. “The way this whole thing is going, it looks as if many heads will roll in INEC because the young man has made useful statements and if what he said is anything to rely upon, it then means that some big names in that commission might fall with him. “At first, he was trying to rationalise his action in that local government area when he was verbally quizzed before the intervention of the police; but, after some time, especially at the point of his detention, he started to cooperate but the cooperation is loaded because he has mentioned some top officials of INEC, especially directors and a PDP chieftain, as those who ‘put him in trouble’. Although the source declined to disclose the identities of those involved, he said “preliminary confessions” point to the fact that the bungled election in most LGAs of the state was “packaged by aggrieved politicians in connivance with top INEC officials both in Abuja and Awka” adding: “It was a well-funded package.” “All fingers point to some aggrieved politicians and it was a well-funded package that involved quite a lot of people; that is why the man is saying he has been used and dumped,” he said. Meanwhile, Jega has said all enquiries regarding arrests made in the bungled Anambra election should be referred to the police. Jega’s chief press secretary, Kayode Idowu, told LEADERSHIP on the telephone that INEC would not comment on the arrested official who allegedly played a key role in the flawed poll. “One, I cannot say anything on his matter because the police has taken over a larger chunk of the matter; only the police can say something on the role of the man arrested and how far they have gone with their investigation; so you have to contact the police. “Again, it will be out of place for me to reel out what the commission intends to do. Mind you, INEC is also carrying out its administrative interrogation on his matter,” he said.”

At the other end, the candidate of APGA, chief Willie Obiano seems to be celebrating even before the election, he had this to say on November 14 “My people, your immense support has earned us victory already. Thank you! In line with the INEC regulations, I am officially winding down my campaign today Thursday 14th. I call on my supporters to end all sorts of campaign today. We will remain law abiding as always. I also call on all my supporters to stay peaceful and vigilant. Endeavor to cast your votes as responsible citizens. Encourage your friends, siblings, parents, spouses, and neighbors to vote for APGA peacefully on Saturday. APGA bu nke anyi. APGA bu nke Ndigbo. Willie.Will.Work=>W.W.W” Twenty hours ago, he wrote “My people, this is another beautiful day and I'm so thankful. Thank you all for your constant support! Thank you also for waiting patiently, it's just a matter of time..... Remember, W.W.W=>”

Some citizens of the state who begged for anonymity has this to say “I sincerely weep for this country. Many of our people can hardly differentiate right from left. If INEC can not conduct credible election in just one state then what will happen during the general election of 2015. And instead of everybody to condemn INEC so that we can have a better Nigeria. To me it doesn’t matter who wins but let INEC provide a level playing ground for The People to choose their leader. If APGA’s man is the person The People want let them have a better platform to elect him not through ‘magomago’. Prof Jega has told the entire world that he’s not the man we thought he was. It is very unfortunate that this is happening in this country and during our time. The most annoying thing is the way our people are hailing the conduct of the election.”

“I dey laugh.Dis is fairest n transparent election. Y didnt INEC cancel dora akunyili n ngige senatorial election?y didnt they cancel Ohakim n okorocha gubernatorial? Haterz! Is it bcos it my Obiano dat is winning now,dat makes u people be agitating for d election abolition? Haterz, go n hug transformer Obiano remains d Anambra state governor till next eight years. We love ngige,but God loves him d most,so he should go n rest in peace in d senate house. From me Frankln Arinze Udenkwelle.” Was there really a free and fair election in Anambra? Either ways, INEC has not yet gained trust of the citizens!