By Chuks Collins
It was a bag of mixed feelings virtually all over Anambra State Saturday afternoon as the much expected Council elections got underway.
The election was to elect Chairmen and Councillors into the 21 Councils and 326 wards in the state.
While members of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) described the election as commendable, members of the opposition political parties described it as falling far short of expectations.
The Labour Party led by Peter Okoye was so incensed that in her press conference shortly monitoring proceedings and based on feedback from his field officers and members told journalists that they were “going to challenge the event of today in court”
Okoye who spoke at Nkpor, Idemili North council area flanked by key LP executive.
“What we witnessed today was a shame. We are going to challenge it in court. We are dragging Gov Charles Soludo and the State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) to court.
From the experience at my Umuoji Ward and round the whole state, the ruling APGA and ANSIEC did not send out the result sheets.
” In some instances the election materials were not delivered or, the APGA members waylaid polling officials, vandalize materials, cart away ballot papers, chasing the officials and the voters who gathered to cast their ballots away and end up running away with ballot boxes and materials.
These party thugs consequently had a field day, that there was voting in many areas.
Okoye while expressing disappointment at the poorly planned and executed rigging pattern said that APGA didn’t even hide it. We expected their conduct to look a bit professional, not this very crude rigging pattern.
The LP chairmanship candidate for Idemili north Council Mr Chudi Chukelu noted that when ANSIEC and Gov Soludo repeatedly called for participation in the Council politics they thought they were ready to bestow democracy at the third tier of governance. That was why we participated.
“What happened today was sad. It’s unacceptable to us any right thinking citizen. It was a charade
The well know Obedient Movement General, Obinna Agom-Chine used the opportunity of the press conference to lambast those he described as ” marchantilist members who alleged uses LP name to go negotiate for their meal ticket.
He lamented that the incumbent Transition Committee Chairman for Idemili Mr Stanley took charge of distribution of materials for election. That was unprofessional, hence a bit tardy.
We will challenge it all in court.
According to LP’s Peter Okoye, reports he obtained from his members in Ideani Ward, Idemili north Council revealed another ugly side.
There was sporadic shooting within which ballots were snatched.
An eyewitness noted, “I was at Oye waiting for results to be counted I received a phone call from private number saying he was calling from office of the Special Adviser to governor on Youths. He accused me of conniving with the youths to destabilize the elections. I objected and told him that the elections were going well. He cut the call and after 5 minutes another call came saying that they are at Check Point Ideani that I should come immediately. When I got there I saw the crowd with sophisticated ammunitions I became scared.
“They threatened to beat me up if I don’t show them the youths causing crisis in Ideani. I simply told them that the elections were peaceful and no Ideani Youth is violent. I was asked to take them to the poling units Ideani. Who can refuse in the presence of such mob. I simply took them there and ensured that no Ideani Youth is harmed. At a point some of them tried beating me up at Immanuel Church but some good spirited Ideanians came to my rescue. I didn’t lead any touts to Ideani. I only tried to protect what could have been a disaster..”
