LGA Polls: Enugu APC Raises Alarm over Plot to Disqualify Its Candidates

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Thursday, October 19th, 2017

From Ignatius Okpara

ENUGU, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Enugu state chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC, has raised the alarm over alleged plot by the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission ENSIEC, to disqualify its candidates ahead of the November 4 council polls.

The party also accused the commission of breaching its guidelines and time table for the election.

The party’s Chairman Dr. Ben Nwoye, made the accusation on Wednesday in an interview with newsmen in Enugu, stating that the body language of the ENSIEC showed that it was bent on doing the bidding of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, its pay master.

He alleged that while the ENSIEC guidelines showed that list of candidates for the election was to be published on October 16, 2017, the state electoral body was yet to do so as at end of work on Wednesday, being 18, October.

Nwoye said: “we have waited till night but the ENSIEC is not forthcoming. I called the chairman, Ajogwu, he told me that the list was ready, but when I reached out to the ENSIEC secretary, he said it was not yet ready. So, it is unimaginable that the ENSIEC is breaching its own guideline for this election. It is unthinkable.

“The feelers we are getting is that they are coming up with only 26 chairmanship candidates; this clearly shows that there is foul play.

“I say this because we submitted list of candidates for the 17 local government areas in the State and the PDP did same; so when you sum up the number, you know what it should be.

“We are warning the ENSIEC not to try anything funny because we are not going to take it; all our candidates in the election are going to run; nobody will stop them.”

Reacting to the defection of Senator Fidelis Okoro to the PDP, Nwoye said his action should be emulated by other politicians.

It would be recalled that Okoro, recently joined the APC from the PDP

Nwoye added: “It shows that he is an honest man; when he didn’t like what the PDP was standing for, he switched party, joined APC. He did his best to mobilize for us and now that he believes his political interest is best served in the PDP, he has left APC, honourably declared for the PDD.

” That is the right thing to do; I think he sets an example; for others, to no matter how highly placed you are, as long as you are in this business called politics, you must define where you stand, you cannot be here and be there, especially the elder statesmen. I wish him well.”

Asked if Okoro’s defection would affect the party negatively in the polls, the APC chairman said, “his departure has no impact; it has no impact at all. A long time ago, it was open that he was the one that helped in the emergence or selection of the PDP candidate in Nsukka.

“The information reaching us a long time ago is that even as APC member, he led the selection process that led to the emergence of the PDP candidate in Nsukka; despite that, we have candidates in all the Nsukka wards. So, it didn’t affect us; while we missed is his vibrancy and elder counsel, we will forge on, we will fight neck to neck to elect our candidates.

“You notice we did our campaign in Igbo-Eze North, recently he wasn’t there; perhaps his spirit was no longer with us. But I must mention, he is a good man and he has every right to express or pursue his political ambition in whichever political platform he finds it and others should borrow a leaf from him; it doesn’t set a good example to be in one party and support candidate in another party; he has shown that he is a good statesman and I applaud him for that.” Nwoye stated.