The Chairmen of the 17 Local Government Areas in Enugu State under the aegis of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) have berated the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State, Barr. Okey Ezea over his call for the cancellation of the last Saturday governorship election on the alleged grounds that the exercise was “marred by irregularities and violence perpetrated by the PDP.”
In a statement signed by its Chairman and the Executive Chairman of Enugu East of Local Government Area, Hon. Prince Cornelius Nnaji, the Association described the allegations by Ezea as baseless, false, misleading, and a calculated attempt to discredit the integrity of the PDP and competence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in conducting transparent, peaceful and free and fair elections in the state.
Hon. Nnaji regretted that the APC guber candidate against the advice of the PDP, prior to the governorship election, to be ready to accept defeat, in view of the glaring projections that the PDP will sweep the polls in the state, went ahead to exhibit his usual trend of mischief, blackmail and arrogance by raising false alarm against a properly conducted election in Enugu State.
The Chairmen insisted that the last Saturday governorship and House of Assembly elections in Enugu State were transparent, peaceful and free and fair, stressing that as foot-soldiers of the PDP who enjoy the confidence of the overwhelming majority of the electorate at the grassroots, there is no way the APC could have made any positive impact in the elections.
They also congratulated the Governor-Elect in Enugu State, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and all the candidates of the PDP for the last Saturday State House of Assembly election for emerging victorious.
The Association noted that the issues of “importation of thugs into Enugu State, snatching of ballot box, selling of result sheets and PVCs to the PDP particularly in the Nsukka area” etc, as alleged by the Ezea were all trumped-up allegations against the PDP to whip up undue sentiment and undermine the outcome of the elections, emphasizing that the party (PDP) does not need to involve itself in such practices to win elections in the state.
ALGON therefore called on Ezea and his cohorts to imbibe the new spirit of sportsmanship in the nation’s democratic process and concede defeat as was first demonstrated by the PDP Presidential Candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan who conceded defeat to the APC Presidential candidate, now President-Elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Rt.) in the overall interest of the nation.
