A youth organization under the aegis of Nigeria Leadership Performance Index, has expressed worry over state government involvement, imposition and control of the management body in charge of the conduct of the Local Government Area election in Abia State.
In a Press Conference held in Umuahia, the Team Leader of the group, Comrade Onyedikachi Kalu, said having observed the level of preparedness and readiness of relevant stakeholders particularly the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC), the Security Agents, Political parties and the voters, observed that there is imposition of unpopular candidates by the Governor in so many Local Government Areas,under different political parties.
Comrade Kalu noted that this bridge of democratic principles, is raising serious security concerns on the peaceful conduct of the election, particularly in Isialangwa South Local Government Area.
The group equally observed that some party candidates were said to have emerged without the Abia Electoral body screening and also observing their party primaries.
They further pointed that there are rumours of fake election result sheet to be supplied at polling units,while the original result sheet would be manipulated by the State government in connivance with the ABSIEC, thereby, causing panic among candidates.
Comrade Kalu added that the group observed that while the Governor is officially said and known to belong to the Labour Party, all his supporters are campaigning for the candidates of the Zenith Labour Party(ZLP) and Young People’s Party (YPP), creating political tension and uncertainty, regarding the would be outcome of the election.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Leadership Performance Index, further expressed satisfaction how the various security agents are combat ready to ensure a peaceful atmosphere during and after the exercise, stressing that the voters are resolute and ready to come out en masse to vote for the candidate of their choice, while appealing that their vote be allowed to count.
In its recommendation, the group advised the State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, to stop all forms of intimidation, harassment and imposition of candidates as he was accused. “He should remain a father to all and ready to work with anybody that emerges as Chairman of his Local Government Area, despite political affiliation”.
The group said that selection of candidates for any election should not be based on compensatory or reciprocation of goodwill, but rather, based on competence through democratic means.
They called for the investigation of some alleged boastful utterances from candidates particularly the chairmanship candidates of YPP and ZLP in Isialangwa South, bragging openly with the name and assurances of the Governor to have won the election, as the result of the election is already written, waiting to be announced, even when the election has not been conducted. They said the Governor as a man of equity and justice should come out and clear his name from such allegations and reassure the voters that their votes must count.
However, the group recommended that the various security agents should be duty bound and see the election as a national duty,to serve with patriotism without bias, while urging Abians to come out and vote the candidates of their choice and as well, stand to defend their mandate, while collectively resisting any form of intimidation and harassment.
They further called for collective response in rewriting the negative record of election violence in the state, using the Local Government election as a start, by showing maturity and putting behind all forms of violence and negative inclination during the election.
