The Abia State Chapter of the Labour Party has given an overview of the recently concluded Local Government polls in Abia State; as they counts the excesses.
This overview was narrated by the Party’s Ag State Publicity Secretary, Hon. Toby Chuks Egeonu in a release made available to Trustbase news.
According to Egeonu, Prior to the build up of the election into the chairmanship and councillorship positions across the seventeen (17) Local Government Areas of Abia State, the governor of Abia State His Excellency Dr Alex Chioma Otti constituted an electoral umpire. The umpire known as Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) was saddled with the responsibility of planning and executing the local government election. By its name and establishment, ABSIEC was meant to be independent and impartial. The chairman of the commission Prof. George Chima after assumption of office, released Notice and timetable for election. According to the timetable made public, the Notice of Election contained thereof was dated 23rd September, 2024. By that notice, the process began. Political Parties and their candidates who expressed interests in the election began working towards their goals in high hopes. Unfortunately, while parties were waiting for the publication of successful candidates for the election which the Timetable puts for 16th October, people were summarily disappointed. It was rather on the 24th October that the list was belatedly published. That was the first sign of compromise and inconsistency from ABSIEC. However, in a twist of events, ABSIEC put up another bizarre shocker when on the 31st October as Prof Chima and his ABSIEC signed and published another list of candidates for Labour Party after the date for substitutions has been over according to the Timetable. That was the first plan to push LP off feet by the ABSIEC and their paymaster.
The Ag State Publicity Secretary maintained that, on the election day, the machinations and schemings of ABSIEC were laid bare. They presided over and supervised the biggest rape on democracy, a sham called election. Political parties and their supporters had gathered at the various LGAs for inspection of election materials before being distributed to various pooling units. The first shocker was receiving of various reports from across the LGAs that there were no Result Sheets and Summary Sheets available for the election. In Umunneochi, the candidates of Labour Party and PDP immediately raised the alarm and moved in to the Electoral Officer for Umunneochi for enquiry. The E.O admitted under camera that those sensitive materials were not given to him. It was noted. However, materials were moved to various pooling units with the expectation that the Summary Sheets and Result sheets will arrive later. Earlier, it was discovered that out of 153 pooling units in Umunneochi, only 148 were given ad hoc workers for the election. It was also noticed the list of ad hoc workers published were members of Abia Arise pro group of Alex Otti. One of them said before pressmen that they were working on instruction when asked why results would not be collated at the ward collation centre. After the election, while everyone converged at the council headquarters for the final collation, the whole Abia Arise/Ad hoc staff disappeared living the materials for election littered inside the Traditional Rulers’ Hall. It was then that the Labour Party and PDP candidates spoke to the press. Just as they were leaving the council, the ABSIEC chairman announced the results of the election without any collation done. It was funny.
In Ohafia LGA, Hon Toby Egeonu Stated that, the member representing Ohafia South Hon. Mba Kalu Nwoke (Etiokwe) was teargassed, brutally manhandled and arrested on the election day at the orders of the Deputy Governor of Abia state Engr Ikechukwu Emetu, whose offense he argued was that he asked questions why people were not being allowed to freely express themselves in the voting process. He came to Ohafia Local government council as a major stakeholder and noticed the shortfalls of ABSIEC and then demanded to know why sensitive materials were in short supply. Knowing that he is not part of the governor’s scheme of impunity, the deputy governor descended on him with uniformed thugs. “It is rather unheard of that a serving House member could be so humiliated and detained for twenty-four hours on the other of a deputy governor. It was also gathered that the deputy governor authorized the uniformed men to surround the house of our Ohafia LGA Chairmanship Candidate, the reason for that is still unknown”.
Also In Aba North, the state Publicity Secretary insists that similar impunity and intimidation was on display when men of the Rapid Response Squad were used to divert election materials meant for Ariaria pooling unit to Ogbor Hill. He highlighted that the LP ward Chairman in ward 9 trailed them with one other but they were beaten and arrested by the RRS. The RRS charged them on two count saying that they put up actions capable of breaching public peace, and also attempting to snatch ballot boxes. The police detained them for days before they brought them to court. It was from the court that the legal team of Labour Party secured their release from the court after four days of incarceration. The report of the impunities continues with different stories emerging from different LGAs.
“Generally speaking, the election was a charade. In some areas, there was no voting but in some others, people voted even in situations of low turnout. In some other areas it was intimidation and harassments, rascality and impunity. All in all, there was no declaration of results at all the the collation centers. While people were waiting for collation of election results at their various LGAs, Prof George Chima announced results he had already written.
“OUR STAND:
We want to state that there is progressive intention behind the granting of autonomy to the local government. The Federal Government intend to add human face to the third tier of government by so doing. Nevertheless, the autonomy will amount to nothing if the local governments are left in the hands of the governors. There will continue to be undue interference by the state governors into the treasury of the local governments. They will continue to be manipulating the LGA elections through the SIECs because the SIECS are appointed by governors, and he who pays the piper detects the tone. The Federal government has one more pivotal role to play in her bid to rejigging the LGAs. The Senate should expedite action to pass the bill before it that will give INEC the role of conducting Local Government Election. That way, the autonomy granted to LGAs will be effectual.
“OUR POSITION:
Having weighed the strength and weakness of the entire process of Local government election supervised by Alex Otti, the Labour Party has decided not to let it slide. LP, the party that brought Alex Otti in, determined to doing things right will not watch Alex destroy the internal democracy of the party and also murder democracy in Abia state. He is a product of the wishes of people and he must do things in line with the wishes of the people. To that end, Labour party has approached the court to seek redress on the rape committed by Alex Otti to democracy.
“To the followers and supporters of Labour Party in Abia State, the leaders at both State and National levels urge you to remain calm and law abiding as always. The mandate will be recovered and true democracy entrenched”.
Hon. Toby Chuks Egeonu
Ag Publicity Secretary
Labour Party, Abia State
