Knocks For Obi Over Non-Conduct Of Council Polls

THE growing bitterness over the prolonged non-conduct of local government elections in Anambra State is assuming a new dimension, with the mounting daily restiveness by citizens and the added call on the international community to place travel and visa ban on Governor Peter Obi, his family and aides, until the election is held and winners sworn in.

Surprisingly, the renewed crusade is being spearheaded by members of the governor’s All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led by Chief Emeka Nwosu, the leader of the party in Awka South council, and council chairmanship candidate of the party.

“We have decided to approach the international community to assist us call our governor to order because since we have taken virtually all the legal steps needed to make him see reason but he was not moved, it is clear to us that since he travels out of the country quite often, almost weekly, spending the tax payers’ money on same, he would be forced to stay in Nigeria to do his duties, including the election instead of globe-trotting,” Nwosu

Nwosu who spoke with journalists in Awka alongside other aspirants, political observers and citizens in the state yesterday appealed to the National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh to order the state chapter to refund the N1million it collected from each of the about 300 chairmanship aspirants in 2010 and the N100,000 it collected from about 3,000 councillorship aspirants in the same period, with the accruing interests since there was no evidence the election was going to hold.

“The governor should ensure that the monies are refunded because he had directed the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) and APGA to collect such huge sums from all aspirants even when he had no intention of conducting council election.

“We thank Umeh for speaking out. We also note with disdain the governor’s argument about the voters’ register which has since been ready and yet he doesn’t want to conduct the elections. The citizens are indeed tired of his numerous excuses. He should therefore leave the stage now, to save his face,” Nwosu added.