Jude Emecheta wrote...
Anambra state citizens have in recent times witnessed defections of some money bag politicians from one of the major political parties in the country to another. None of the decampees involved in the cross carpeting have actually given any cogent reason why he jumped ship. This seeming unprincipled attitude to politics has compelled a former minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidioka, who hails from the state to angrily describe the defectors as desperate political jobbers.
The Anambra State Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Sir Nobert Obi, has also expressed similar sentiment as Chief Chidioka.
That notwithstanding, some political analysts have suggested that politicians who have unconscionably crossed over to the present ruling political party in the country are only doing it in order to be in the position to unscrupulously manipulate certain federal government agencies to their advantage during the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state. The analysts made their deductions from what happened in the state in the 2003, 2007 and 2015 general elections, when it was an open secret that the polls were blatantly rigged in favour of the ruling party at the federal level in those periods.
Evidence of the fraud which trailed those controversial elections were in the fact that the total number of votes allocated to the candidates of the ruling party at the center were either more than the number of accredited voters or registered voters in their constituencies.
In 2003, the open disagreement among persons who rigged the election that year resulted in a major political crisis and instability. It manifested in the shameful abduction of a sitting governor on July 10, 2003 and mayhem in November 2004, during which public property worth billions of naira were dastardly set ablaze by hoodlums sponsored by certain politicians.
Public property destroyed in the mayhem included; the Government House, Awka, the Anambra House of Assembly Complex, the State Judiciary Headquarters, Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Center, the offices of the Anambra Broadcasting Service, ABS in Awka and Onitsha, the defunct Ikenga Hotel Royale and buses which belonged to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Be that as it may, the Anambra electorate have always exercised their franchise without fear. It is on record that since the emergence of APGA in the country's political landscape in 2002, Ndi Anambra have consistently and steadfastly been loyal to it without minding whose ox is gored. Despite the brazen stealing of their mandate in the 2003 governorship election, APGA eventually reclaimed it on March 15, 2006.
In their judgments, the Anambra State Election Petition Tribunal, Awka and the Court of Appeal, Enugu respectively concluded that the 2003 governorship election was rigged. In 2007, INEC conducted an illegal gubernatorial poll in the state, when a sitting APGA governor, Sir Peter Obi had not completed his first term in office. The Supreme court of Nigeria in June, that same year nullified the election to allow him to complete his first four years term.
Again, the 2010 and 2013 gubernatorial elections were clearly won by APGA because of the credible performances of the governments enthroned by the party in addition to the fact that Ndi Anambra regard the party as their own.
As preparations towards the conduct of another governorship election in the fourth quarter of this year commence in earnest, there are very strong indications that the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, would resoundingly win again. This is because it is a widely acknowledged fact that the present state government under the watch of Governor Willie Obiano is performing excellently in terms of good governance and massive delivery of democracy dividends.
In the past eleven years or there about, APGA has effectively and convincingly demonstrated in Anambra that a political party which is not in control of the federal government can govern very well to the satisfaction and happiness of the people.
As a matter of fact, APGA has so far helped to give meaning to the practice of the federal system of government and multi party democracy in Nigeria. This is a fact that should be acknowledged and recognized by the present federal government of Nigeria under President Mohammadu Buhari.
Besides, APGA governments in Anambra state have never been confrontational to the federal government, unlike the PDP government it took over from since 2006. Indeed, APGA is strictly guided by the principles of political pragmatism and egaliterianism enshrined in its constitution.
But most importantly, Ndi Anambra are not cowards to be intimidated or cheated out of what belongs to them. Therefore, those who are planning to rig the forthcoming gubernatorial poll in the state are as usual bound to meet their political waterloo once again.
Forward Ever, Backward Never!
SIR JUDE EMECHETA
CHAIRMAN,
WILLIE OBIANO SUPPORT GROUP
Anambra state citizens have in recent times witnessed defections of some money bag politicians from one of the major political parties in the country to another. None of the decampees involved in the cross carpeting have actually given any cogent reason why he jumped ship. This seeming unprincipled attitude to politics has compelled a former minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidioka, who hails from the state to angrily describe the defectors as desperate political jobbers.
The Anambra State Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Sir Nobert Obi, has also expressed similar sentiment as Chief Chidioka.
That notwithstanding, some political analysts have suggested that politicians who have unconscionably crossed over to the present ruling political party in the country are only doing it in order to be in the position to unscrupulously manipulate certain federal government agencies to their advantage during the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state. The analysts made their deductions from what happened in the state in the 2003, 2007 and 2015 general elections, when it was an open secret that the polls were blatantly rigged in favour of the ruling party at the federal level in those periods.
Evidence of the fraud which trailed those controversial elections were in the fact that the total number of votes allocated to the candidates of the ruling party at the center were either more than the number of accredited voters or registered voters in their constituencies.
In 2003, the open disagreement among persons who rigged the election that year resulted in a major political crisis and instability. It manifested in the shameful abduction of a sitting governor on July 10, 2003 and mayhem in November 2004, during which public property worth billions of naira were dastardly set ablaze by hoodlums sponsored by certain politicians.
Public property destroyed in the mayhem included; the Government House, Awka, the Anambra House of Assembly Complex, the State Judiciary Headquarters, Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Center, the offices of the Anambra Broadcasting Service, ABS in Awka and Onitsha, the defunct Ikenga Hotel Royale and buses which belonged to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Be that as it may, the Anambra electorate have always exercised their franchise without fear. It is on record that since the emergence of APGA in the country's political landscape in 2002, Ndi Anambra have consistently and steadfastly been loyal to it without minding whose ox is gored. Despite the brazen stealing of their mandate in the 2003 governorship election, APGA eventually reclaimed it on March 15, 2006.
In their judgments, the Anambra State Election Petition Tribunal, Awka and the Court of Appeal, Enugu respectively concluded that the 2003 governorship election was rigged. In 2007, INEC conducted an illegal gubernatorial poll in the state, when a sitting APGA governor, Sir Peter Obi had not completed his first term in office. The Supreme court of Nigeria in June, that same year nullified the election to allow him to complete his first four years term.
Again, the 2010 and 2013 gubernatorial elections were clearly won by APGA because of the credible performances of the governments enthroned by the party in addition to the fact that Ndi Anambra regard the party as their own.
As preparations towards the conduct of another governorship election in the fourth quarter of this year commence in earnest, there are very strong indications that the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, would resoundingly win again. This is because it is a widely acknowledged fact that the present state government under the watch of Governor Willie Obiano is performing excellently in terms of good governance and massive delivery of democracy dividends.
In the past eleven years or there about, APGA has effectively and convincingly demonstrated in Anambra that a political party which is not in control of the federal government can govern very well to the satisfaction and happiness of the people.
As a matter of fact, APGA has so far helped to give meaning to the practice of the federal system of government and multi party democracy in Nigeria. This is a fact that should be acknowledged and recognized by the present federal government of Nigeria under President Mohammadu Buhari.
Besides, APGA governments in Anambra state have never been confrontational to the federal government, unlike the PDP government it took over from since 2006. Indeed, APGA is strictly guided by the principles of political pragmatism and egaliterianism enshrined in its constitution.
But most importantly, Ndi Anambra are not cowards to be intimidated or cheated out of what belongs to them. Therefore, those who are planning to rig the forthcoming gubernatorial poll in the state are as usual bound to meet their political waterloo once again.
Forward Ever, Backward Never!
SIR JUDE EMECHETA
CHAIRMAN,
WILLIE OBIANO SUPPORT GROUP
