Anambra Guber: Learn To Accept Defeat in Elections– Civil society Group Tells Politicians

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Ignatius Okpara, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, December 5th, 2013

Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

As Nigerians continue to react to the outcome of the just concluded Anambra state governorship election, a civil society organisation, Concerned Citizens Group CCG,has advised Politicians to learn to accept defeat in elections so as not to overheat the polity.

Anambra Governor-Elect Willie Obiano

According to the group, accepting defeat after elections would also help in curbing the inherent marathon legal battle that tend to derail the focus of government of the day.

Reacting to the recent declaration of Chief Willy Obiano of the All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA candidate as winner of the just concluded Anambra State gubernatorial election by INEC, the National Coordinator of CCG, Chief Dan Okpoko, appealed to politicians in Nigeria and Anambra state in particular, to always give peace a chance after elections.

Chief Okpoko told African Examiner that in every election, there must be a winner and a loser and “therefore politicians should exercise restraint and not create the impression as people who are desperate for power.”

He said, “it portends grave danger for politicians to have no recourse to the rules of the game. It is unfortunate that those who are clamouring to earn peoples franchise for the purpose of leadership will after all have no regards for the verdict of the masses.”

On the outcome of the election, Okpoko argued that no other party was better favoured to win the election other than the ruling party, APGA, going by its structure on ground.

Hear him “APGA was favoured by the structure on ground, by the opinion poll, and even by the power of incumbency. The party had good time for their campaigns, had good partnership concepts to woo the electorates to their side, as well as goodwill that accrued from the infrastructural development that the leadership of governor Obi bequeathed to all the nook and cranny of Anambra State.”

He however, urged Anambrarians to give maximum support to the leadership they had chosen in order to ensure peace, harmony and development in the state.