APC Threatens to Withdraw From Guber Polls in Enugu

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Thursday, March 7th, 2019

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Ahead of Saturday 9th Gubernatorial and state Assembly elections in Nigeria, the All Progressive Congress (APC), Enugu state chapter, has threatened to withdraw from the exercise, should the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fails to produce all the original result sheets for the poll.

Ben Nwoye, the State Chairman who issued the threat at a media briefing in Enugu on Wednesday, said

It alleged that the party has uncovered plan by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Emeka Ononamadu, to manipulate the election through handing over the result sheets to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

The state chairman of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye, who issued the threat Wednesday in his office at the party secretariat said PDP agents led by a serving senator from Enugu North senatorial zone of the state, and the party state chairman, Mr. Augustine Nnamani, had taken full possession of all the sensitive electoral materials at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Enugu.

He said the PDP leaders were removing the result sheets before policemen at CBN to various council areas, so to make sure their party have their way on Saturday.

Briefing newsmen on the development, Nwoye, who was accompanied by Barrister KGB Oguakwa, the Director- General of the campaign organization of the APC governorship Candidate in the state, Senator Ayogu Eze, also alleged that PDP agents were enjoying unfettered access into the CBN where the materials were deposited, but stern looking policemen prevented his party agents from gaining entrance to inspect electoral sensitive materials meant for the election.

The APC state chairman, further alleged that he was walked out of CBN premises by policemen, when he responded to distress calls from some of his party agents,.

“But to my utmost charging” the State Chairman of PDP, Augustine Nnamani was given a cushioned seat in an air-conditioned room inside CBN while his members including the serving senator were removing the electoral materials.

Nwoye added that when he tried to find out from the state REC why APC agents were not allowed inside by policemen, he was told that his agents came late, a claim he said was case.

According to the APC boss in the state, the PDP agents, masquerading as agents of the numerous smaller parties were all over CBN having a field day, under the cover of INEC and police, adding that the policemen even told him that they were acting on instruction from above.

With what transpired at the CBN, Nwoye therefore, came to the conclusion that it was obvious that the REC and the police were already compromised by PDP as they were doing everything possible to satisfy their paymasters in PDP.

He, however, warned that unless the result sheets were produced by INEC, APC would be left with no option than to boycott the election on Saturday, declaring that democracy was under serious threat in the state.

His word: “We have moved away from vote buying to election and security buying. The REC is pretending to be fair, yet he is not fair. The police is pretending to be fair, yet they are not fair.

“PDP claims they are popular. Why won’t they allow the only strong alternative party to contest? This particular election, if it goes on this way, we will not participate,” Nwoye said.

Nwoye alleged “that a PDP agent disguised as masked security personnel and when the mask was removed, he turned out to be a PDP card carrying member., describing the development as white unfortunate.