By Gabriel Atumeyi
365Daily –
The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), has accused the Anambra state governor, Willie Obiano, of a plan by his administration to siphon N60 billion from the state’s treasury to buy votes and rig the forthcoming November 6 Governorship election.
According to the party, the administration under Governor Willie Obiano is doing so under the guise of supplementary budget appropriation.
The ZLP said the Governor and his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), conscious of their unpopularity and desperate to install an hand picked successor wants to buy votes and influence the outcome of the poll.
In a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the ZLP Campaign Council, Afam Dozie Ofomata, the party called for transparency in any appropriatiation process, while urging the people of the state to resist such moves especially in the last days of a failed administration.
The statement also stated that despite all the propaganda and efforts to disparage Dr Obiora Okonkwo, he remains the man to beat and that no amount of vote buying and process manipulation can change that.
The statement reads, “The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), the coalition party of all Ndi Anambra for the November 6 Anambra state governorship election, strongly cautions Governor Willie Obiano against his administration’s plans to funnel out N60 billion belonging to the state, two months before election, under the guise of a supplementary budget.
“ZLP accuses Governor Obiano of plans to waste the money in a desperate bid to play the godfather and impose his unpopular choice candidate on the state so as to sustain his so called “continuity” of failure and cover the atrocities of his failed administration.
“The ZLP has already been made aware of how the Obiano camp, having realized that there is no way the APGA can win in free and fair election is now seeking to sweep the state’s reserves and use the supplementary budget to provide slush fund for electoral bribery and enrichment of corrupt APGA leaders.
“A detailed review of the so-called supplementary budget, reveals very opaque content that cannot translate into development investment reality for the benefit of the people, thus exposing an evil design to defraud the state and suppress the wishes of the Ndi Anambra at the election.
“ZLP therefore calls on all Ndi Anambra; community unions, professional groups, traditional institutions, faith-based organizations, youth bodies, market unions and other stakeholders across Anambra to be at alert and say no to this provocative budget robbery being plotted by the Obiano-led APGA.
“Governor Obiano must know that coffers of Anambra state is not an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) for installation of his puppet; a plot that will be firmly resisted by Ndi Anambra. He should therefore rescind every idea of a supplementary budget until after the election in November.
‘Moreover, Governor Obiano by now, ought to know that Ndi Anambra have made up their minds to liberate their state by electing the people’s candidate, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo (Dikeora) on the platform of the coalition ZLP and no amount of vote buying, bribery of electoral officials and propaganda can stop this quest, which has already become an unstoppable movement.
“The ZLP therefore advices Governor Obiano to allow the will of the people to prevail in this election. He ought to know that Ndi Anambra abhor godfatherism and that such will never have a place in the government of the state.
The ZLP further called on Governor Obiano to leave an enviable democratic legacy instead of one of imposition and impunity, that may put him under the radar of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“Governor Obiano should be cautious and use the remaining period of his tenure for judicious deployment of the state’s resources so that he can have a legacy, rather than engaging in a futile venture of seeking to install a stooge to whom he will play godfather.
“He must know that the best thing is for him to complete his tenure on a good note and avoid being pushed to engage in any act that will bring him to disrepute so that he will not end up being a guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after office.