Let it be on record that the people of Ogbaru who invested their trust and votes on the Labour Party, would not stand idly by while strangers attempt to hijack their collective will.”
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – Following public boasts by top officials of Anambra State Government that the ruling party in the state has won the yet to be concluded House of Representatives election in Ogbaru Federal Constituency, a socio-political group from the area, the League of Ogbaru Professionals (LOP), has again called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to uphold equity, justice and fairness.
This is sequel to a trending video made by Mr. Chinedu Nwoye Glamour, the State Chief of Protocol and Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, where it was stated that “as at today, as declared by INEC, APGA (the ruling party in the state) has four seats and one is inconclusive, the Ogbaru Federal Constituency (and) APGA is leading as at today.”
In reaction to the video, Dr. Charles Ezekude, chairman of League of Ogbaru Professionals, wondered where Governor Soludo’s Deputy Chief of Staff got the figures to suggest that APGA was in the lead since the last count before the election process was halted put the Labour Party candidate ahead of others.
Ezekude said: “Until we cried out against the interference by the Anambra State Government last week, necessitating a directive from INEC headquarters, Abuja, for a diligent re-collation of polling unit results, the Labour Party candidate was comfortably ahead of APGA and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
“In fact, from the Local Government Collation results compiled by the Local Government Collation Officer, Professor Josephine Okoli – before the APGA interference – the Labour Party had 10,339 votes, as against 9,125 votes garnered by APGA, and 8,971 by the PDP.
“One is, therefore, at a loss as to how Mr. Glamour, not being an INEC staff, is able to proclaim, authoritatively, that APGA was now in the lead. There is definitely something Governor Soludo and his officials know about the Ogbaru Federal Constituency seat, that the rest of us, especially Ogbaru people, do not know.
“Exactly one week ago, on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, four top officials of the state government; Political Adviser to the Governor, Alex Obiogbolu, Information Commissioner, Paul Nwosu, Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters Commissioner, Collins Nwabunwanne and his Special Duties counterpart, Sly Ezeokenwa, swooped on INEC headquarters, Awka, and spent the hours of 9am to 6pm, shuttling from one office to another, over the same Ogbaru Federal Constituency result.
“Let it be on record that the people of Ogbaru who invested their trust and votes on the Labour Party, would not stand idly by while strangers attempt to hijack their collective will.
“While we wait on the electoral body to do what is right, we urge Governor Soludo to rein in his officials, who appear bent on tarnishing his hard-earned reputation.”