‘INEC herby urges everyone concerned to be patient and await further directive, which will be communicated as soon as decision is taken. The Commission urges everyone to be peaceful and avoid taking laws into their hands.
‘INEC herby urges everyone concerned to be patient and await further directive, which will be communicated as soon as decision is taken. The Commission urges everyone to be peaceful and avoid taking laws into their hands.
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The Commission, once again, reiterates its resolve to ensure the highest level of integrity and credibility for the electoral process and herby solicits the cooperation of all stakeholders’...Kayode Idowu spokesman for Professor Attahiru Jega, Chairman INEC 28 April 2011
‘Following the April 26, 2011 governorship elections in Imo State, which the Resident Electoral Commissioner {Professor Celina Okoh} ruled inconclusive, the INEC has scheduled supplementary election to hold in selected areas on May 6, 2011.
……….The Commission urges all the affected stakeholders to ensure the highest level of integrity and good conduct in the supplementary election to allow for smooth conclusion of the governorship poll’.
...Alhaji Abdullahi Kaugama, Secretary of INEC 29 April 2011.
Conference of Nigerian Political Parties {CNPP}, with all sense of humility adjudged the failure of Independent National Election Commission {INEC} to declare the All Progressive Grand Alliance {APGA} governorship candidate, Chief Rochas Okorocha ,who polled the highest number of votes and secured 25% in 18 of the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State the winner; as tacit award of the governorship to incumbent governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim of the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP}. This is the futile agenda of the consolidation of one party state.
CNPP is of the candid view that if it was His Excellency, Chief Ikedi Ohakim of the Peoples Democratic Party, that polled the highest number of votes in the 22 Local Government Areas results were declared, with the stipulated 25% in the 2/3 of 18 Local Government Areas of Imo State; INEC instantly could have declared him the winner.
We are still at a loss on how INEC descended into the arena, instead of cancelling as it did in Bauchi State, the controversial results of the affected areas and declare results, to accommodate the 30 days stipulated in the 2010 Electoral Act; INEC invented SUPPLEMTARY ELECTION a stranger to the law.
We have searched for the much flaunted integrity of the new INEC leadership and their Professor Returning Oficers’ allies and by end of the day; it is becoming illusory as evidenced by the Imo State governorship confusion.
We had thought that Professor Jega and co is in a better position to appreciate the danger of one party state in liberal democracy and hence advance the frontiers of multi-party democracy. This is not the case, as they seem to have played into the hands of pro-one party state.
How on earth will INEC expect a desperate Governor Ikedi Ohakim to ensure the highest level of integrity and good conduct and allow for smooth conduct of the poll when INEC has offered him a life boat?
Or how do INEC expect APGA which was robbed the 2007 Imo State governorship in more or less similar scenario ensure the highest level of integrity and good conduct; when victory is slipping of its hand?
Professors Attahiru Jega and Celina Okoh will be held responsible if anything untoward happens in Imo State on or before May 6; for the supplementary election is not only inelegant, unknown to law, but uncalled for; however in the collective interest of our fragile democracy and our dear nation we call for caution.
Finally, we call on the opposition parties as a matter of urgent national importance to build a granite electoral alliance behind the APGA candidate, unite and deny the PDP the ignoble award of the Imo State governorship by INEC.
Osita Okechukwu
National Publicity Secretary
CNPP
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