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28/04/2011
Professor Attahiru Jega Chairman
Independent National Electoral Commission
INEC’s National Headquarters
Zambezi Crescent
FCT, Abuja
Dear Sir,
Imo State Governorship Election Crisis: Plans To Upturn The Sacred Wish Of The People Of The State Will Be Calamitous If Allowed
We are compelled to write Your Commission over the above subject matter based on unfolding events in Imo State of Nigeria. As Your Commission is aware, plans are actively on to upturn the sacred electoral decision of the great people of the State with respect to her April 26, 2011 governorship poll, which has been declared inconclusive by Your Commission.
Your Commission, through its relevant officers in Imo State, including the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the State, Professor Celine Omagha Oko (08033802349), had on the said date declared official results in 23 out of the State’s 27 Local Government Areas, with Chief Rochas Okorocha and his Party, APGA, leading in 12 LGAs and Chief Ikedi Ohakim and his Party, PDP, leading in 11 LGAs. The said State Governorship Returning Officer, who is also the State REC, had at the end of the announcement, declared the governorship election inconclusive on the grounds that elections did not hold in Ngo/Okpala LGA. He also declared as inconclusive elections that took place in Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Mbaitolu LGAs and Orji area of Owerri, the capital city. According to him, the inconclusive nature of the governorship poll was as a result of the substantial number of the registered voters in the affected areas. He informed those that gathered at the State’s INEC Headquarters, including millions of Nigerians watching the proceedings through the electronic media that “Abuja” (Your Commission’s Headquarters) would take a final decision on the matter.
But our findings showed that in Ngo/Okpala LGA, election, indeed, could not take place owing to violence and plan to manipulate the exercise. In Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta LGAs, elections were reportedly inconclusive due to vote manipulation and allied criminal acts. Similar thing reportedly happened in Orji area of Owerri, the capital city of Imo State. In Mbaitolu LGA, election conclusively took place, but the Returning Officer for the LGA said otherwise at the State’s INEC Headquarters, where he informed the REC that “there were no results” from the said LGA. Even when most of the party agents present, who worked in the LGA reportedly, insisted that the contrary was the case and showed INEC’s forms bearing the entire results duly signed by him, he reportedly stood his ground.
In the said results declared by the REC in the 23 LGAs, APGA and its candidate led with over 25,000 votes. Voters in Imo State, particularly, those in Ngo/Okpala LGA and parts of Oguta, Ohaji/Egbema and the Orji area of Owerri were deliberately denied the public knowledge of what would happen next in an alleged bid by powers that be to return the incumbent governor allegedly by crooked means. There were even unconfirmed reports of massive thumb-printing of ballot papers at certain locations in Ngo/Okpala LGA allegedly on the night of April 27, 2011 so as to effect the alleged criminal return of the incumbent in the events of a re-run, which was suspected to be held today being Thursday, April 28, 2011. Many also believed that results returned in favour of the said incumbent in many of the 11 LGAs were manufactured and did not originate from the voters of Imo State.
As it stands now, the entire exercise is thrown into confusion and nobody knows what would be the end-result except Your Commission comes out with a final categorical position. This dire situation gives room for further manipulations by the said desperate politicians and heightening of tensions. To compound the problem the more, rumours have it that the purported re-run has been scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 30, 2011 but the constitutionality of such exercise is another round of confusion if true. Our intense fear is that the riggers may catch in on this confused situation to perfect their sinful and criminal plans of subverting the sacred wish of the great people of Imo State. Sustained confusions such as these may demoralize these voters and such rooms must not be allowed by Your Commission.
As it is now, hundreds of armed soldiers and other security personnel are ready for a show down with tens of thousands of Imo residents who have positioned themselves in strategic parts of the State’s capital city in the spirit of “keeping vigil for credible election”. These gallant defenders of democracy have refused to leave until their sacred electoral choice is respected. During the 2007 governorship election in the State, this rape of democracy was similarly perpetrated when the announcement of the results was suddenly stopped after results in 18 out of the State’s 27 LGAs had been announced. The poll was re-scheduled to April 28, 2007 which, socially speaking, fraudulently produced the incumbent governor.
Today, this dark history is being repeated under Your Headship of the “re-branded” Commission. Though, accusing fingers are pointing at the Presidency, but this is clearly a test case for Your Commission. Incumbents in governorship and legislative positions have lost their positions in Ogun, Nasarawa and Oyo States etc, yet heaven did not fall. It is our warning that Imo State may go up in flames unless people’s sacred wish are respected and upheld. We call on Your Commission to do the right thing just like it did in the Anambra Central Senatorial District recently by compelling Your Commission’s top substantive and adhoc staffers in Imo State including the REC (Prof. Celine Oko) to report to Your Commission’s Headquarters with all the materials for the said election. As a matter of fact, Your Commission’s Headquarters should take over and investigate the entire exercise with a view to nipping the anomalies in the bud once and for all and to the satisfaction of the majority of the gallant voters of Imo State of Nigeria.
Similarly, Your Commission should release the results of the Nnewi North/South/Ekwusigo Federal Constituency in Anambra State and declare and return the winner. We have a credible report that the Returning Officer, Dr. Martin Ifeanyi (08037200407) was announcing the final results of the leading contestants on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at the Nnewi INEC office/collation center, when the PDP’s multiple candidates for the election, Julius Ofoma and Tony Nwabunike reportedly rushed him, grabbed and tore the result sheets with which the results were being announced. The third multiple candidate is Mr. Vincent Dike, but he did not participate in the dastardly act.
The alleged culprits were arrested on the orders of ACP John Nwaele (08037221167), the Nnewi Area Commander and moved to the Anambra State Police Headquarters, Awka, at the instance of the State Commissioner of Police for election duties, CP Indambawa (08032002676) who also publicly confirmed the incident. Shockingly, plans to move them to Abuja for prosecution were reportedly thwarted allegedly at the instance of the Ubas and the Ukachukwus, said to be their alleged sponsors.
In the final results collated in the three LGAs that make up the Federal Constituency (Nnewi South, Nnewi North and Ekwusigo), Mr. Chris Emeka Azubogu of APGA reportedly led his main opponents(s) (the PDP’s three multiple candidates) with over 7,000 votes. The said three multiple candidates, two of whom perpetrated the dastardly act, had flimsily insisted on a re-run based on the cancellation of the election in Akwa-ihedi Community, a community with less than 3,000 registered voters, which cannot, in the eyes of the law, invalidate the said over 7,000 votes gap. We call Your Commission to declare Mr. Chris Emeka Azubogu of APGA winner and have him duly returned. It is also our call that Your Commission should investigate and prosecute,if culpable, the duo of Julius Ofoma and Tony Nwabunike for relevant electoral offenses.
We sincerely hope that our letter will be given an expeditious attention.
Yours Faithfully,
For: Intersociety, Nigeria
Emeka Umeagbalasi
Chairman
Board of Trustees
Phone: +234(0) 8033601078
Email: botchairman@intersociety-ng-org
Website: www.intersociety-ng.org
Comrade Justus Ijeoma
Head
Publicity Desk
Phone: +234(0) 8037114869
CC:
1. The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra State
2. The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Imo State
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