Claims, counter-claims, intrigues trail Ngor Okpala State Constituency bye-election

[By VICTOR NZE]

Last Saturday’s bye-election called by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been concluded, with results announced the following Sun day, but not without leaving a trail of bitter claims and counter-claims from all sides of the political divide.

The Ngor Okpala State Constituency seat at the Imo House of Assembly itself became vacant following the declaration made by the Speaker, Kennedy Ibeh, informing INEC to conduct a bye-election to elect a new representative for the constituency, at the plenary on Thursday, December 23.

Last December, the Speaker Ibeh declared vacant the seat of the member representing Ngor Okpala constituency, Tochi Okere as vacant.

He also suspended three lawmakers for what he called ‘dereliction of duty.’

The suspended lawmakers are Arthur Eguim (Ideato North), Ngozi Obiefule (Isu), and Obinna Okwara (Nkwerre).

While asking INEC to conduct a bye-election to elect a new representative for the constituency, at the plenary on Thursday, December 23, the speaker said the sacking of the Ngor Okpala representative was ‘in line with the house rules and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’

He said Okere had not attended plenary up to one-third since he was inaugurated as a lawmaker in 2019.

Ibeh disclosed that the Assembly’s register indicated that the sacked lawmaker only attended plenary 29 times in 2019, 14 times in 2020 and had not attended plenary in 2021. The speaker also disclosed that the parliament had received two petitions from Ngor Okpala, urging the assembly to declare vacant based on non-performance.

Consequent upon the request by the Imo Assembly Speaker, INEC scheduled bye-elections for the constituency, along with five others across the country, including those in Ondo, Plateau, Cross River states.

These federal and state constituencies included; Akure North/Akure South Federal Constituency, Ondo State; Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency, Plateau State; Pankshin South State Constituency, Plateau State; Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency, Cross River State; Akpabuyo State Constituency, Cross River State; Ngor-Okpala State Constituency, Imo State.

However, ahead of last Saturday’s bye-election in Ngor Okpala, reports emerged that INEC may have disqualified the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state from the poll over allegations of fielding two candidates for the same contest, a situation which would have cleared the coast to victory for the ruling party’s biggest rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It was reported that APC has fielded Mr Blyden Okanni and Lawrence Achinihu for the same election.

This claim was however, found to be false, as Oracle Today checks showed that the final list of candidates for the Ngor Okpala state constituency bye-election as published by INEC indicated that 11 candidates from same number of political parties contested last Saturday poll.

The candidates included; Okechukwu Chinonso Ihechukwukara (ADC), Maurice O. Eke (ADP), Amajirionwu Bylden Okanni (APC), Christopher Nwaiwu (APGA), Nwaiwu Chidiadi Ezebuchi (APM), Alvan Ahaotu Opara (LP), Osigwe Cajetan Uche (NNPP), Joy Udechukwu Nze (NRM), Emeka Nwachukwu (PDP), Diala O. Damian (SDP), and Eletud C. Kenneth (ZLP).

Of the 11 candidates, Maurice O. Eke of the ADP is the oldest at 64, while APC’s Amajirionwu Bylden Okanni follows at 58 years.

The youngest candidate is APM’s Nwaiwu Chidiadi Ezebuchi, who at 32 is also only one out of two candidates with a university degree. Okechukwu Chinonso Ihechukwukara of the ADC is 36 years old, while PDP’s Emeka Nwachukwu is the third youngest at 39.

45-year-old Joy Udechukwu Nze of the NRM, apart from being the other only university degree holder contesting the poll, is also the only female candidate in last Saturday the bye-election.

On Sunday, INEC declared Mr Blyden Okanni of the APC as winner of the bye-election.

INEC Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Dennis Akoh, who announced the results in Umuneke, the Ngor Okpala council headquarters, Sunday, said that Okanni polled 9,248 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Emeka Nwachukwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 7,161 votes.

Akoh, a professor at the Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwor (FUNAI) in Ebonyi, said the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Christopher Nwaiwu placed third with 501 votes.

He said out of the 11 candidates that contested the by-election, the only female and candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Mrs Joy Nze, got 15 votes.

The returning officer said a total of 18,083 voters were accredited for the poll, out of a total of the 94,118 registered voters in the area.

He said the total valid votes cast were 17,280, while 582 votes were rejected.

However, since the announcement of the results by INEC declaring the APC as winner, protests have rent the political air as other stakeholders have registered their grievances on the outcome of the exercise.

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has called for a total cancellation of the Ngor Okpala bye-election, as it claimed that there was massive intimidation and harassment of the electorate by the APC-led government in Imo State.

CUPP in a statement by its National Spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere called for fresh poll.

“The best thing for INEC is to cancel the entire Ngor Okpalla Election given the madness and attempt by Gov. Hope Uzodinma to rape the will of the people and visit his political 419 on our democratic process again.

“Powers contained in the New Electoral Act must be tested and used to cleanse the attempt by Uzodinma to dirty our electoral process and rape the will of the people.

“It’s painful that a few hours after Nigerians applauded Buhari for signing the Electoral Act, Uzodinma has embarrassed the President by visiting mayhem on the people and messing the law up.

“The law must be used to tame Uzodinma by canceling the entire process to help rebuild confidence,” the statement read.

Aside the CUPP claims, independent claims by some electorate also confirmed that there were unwholesome practices during the elections which marred the exercise.

“Ngor Okpala is well-populated, you can see that for yourself. So how can it be that after a well-announced bye-election like this where people were well-motivated to come out and vote, you are now seeing the winning candidate registering a mere 9,000, and his closest challenger polling about 7,000. It shows something is wrong somewhere.

“I read that INEC said only about 18, 000 people turned out to vote. That’s the population of one village alone in Ngor Okpala. INEC has to investigate this. People were prevented from coming out or their votes didn’t count at all,” John Okere, a voter in Umuowa told Oracle Today.

Another voter in Umuewere told Oracle Today that ‘it is strange how Ngor Okpala should be returning the least number of voter turnout like the one recorded last Saturday.’

INEC had Sunday declared Mr Mayokun Lawson-Alade of the APC the winner of the bye-election in Akure North-South Federal Constituency of Ondo State.

According to INEC, Lawson-Alade, a 39-year-old All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, won the election after polling 26,210 votes to beat Mr Olumuyiwa Adu of the Peoples Democratic Party, who scored 24,007 votes.

The Returning Officer for the Ogoja-Yala Federal Constituency by-election, Dr Paul Edor, had also on Sunday, declared the APC candidate, Mr Jude Ngaji, as winner polling 22,778 votes to defeat PDP’s Mike Usibe, who scored 20,590 votes, while Ongro Ogbeche of APM came third with 135 votes.

Labour Party’s Ebi Esuo got 29 votes, Rapheal Okacha of APP, 75; Onyi Ugbochi, who was the candidate of PRP, scored 65, Ogidi Odey of the Social Democratic Party, SDP got 21, and Monkom Igbaji of the YPP had 50 votes.

45,877 voters were accredited out of 193,618 registered voters in the federal constituency, while the total votes cast was 45, 356 of which 43,828 were valid, and 1,528 votes amounted to rejected votes.

In Plateau State, INEC, also Sunday, declared candidate of the PDP, Hon. Musa Agah Avia, as winner of Saturday’s bye-election conducted for the Jos North/ Bassa Federal Constituency in Plateau State.

According to INEC’s Returning officer, Dr. Oyeyinka, the PDP candidate, Agah scored 40, 343 votes to beat the candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hon. Muhammad Gwani who scored 37, 757 votes while the candidate of the ruling APC, Hon. Abbey Aku scored 26, 111 votes.

In all of these bye-elections, an average of 100, 000 votes were recorded by the INEC.

Many political stakeholders claim INEC now needs to INEC now needs to explain how less than 19, 000 accredited voters voted in the Ngor Okpala exercise, last Saturday, out of a total of the 94,118 registered voters in the area.

Providing what could best be described as an explanation to the situation, INEC’s Imo state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Professor Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, while briefing newsmen on the happenings around the bye-election, disclosed that ballot boxes, as well as, the commission’s ad hoc staff were abducted by unknown persons, warning that those sensitive materials would not be accepted by INEC.

“We have received the report of violence of election and disruption of polls on some polling units and attacks on our personnel. So far no casualty has been reported.

“Security men have been up and doing to rescue some of our staff trapped in the violence. We remain grateful to them and pray for them to succeed in the work they are doing.

“We have noticed with great worries an abduction of some of our Ad-hoc staff with the election materials towards the end of the polls. While the earlier violence started with the snatching of election materials it ended with the abduction of our staff, ballot papers and materials. Some of our abducted Adhoc staff were blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination where they were compelled to thump print the ballot papers.

“We wish to reassure the general public that the results manufactured from unknown places will not be collected. The number of votes cast must be tallied with the number of accredited voters,” the REC said.

The question stakeholders in the state have continued to ask is this, why declare an election result with such a massive shortfall in votes?

According to another voter, Mr Jude Okereafor, from Ulakwo, the culprits involved the snatching of ballot boxes knew exactly what are doing.

“It’s a deliberate act to sabotage votes in areas of disadvantage, leaving out areas where they have the upperhand. I also think what INEC should have done is cancel the election outrightly to level the playing field for all parties.”

Main opposition, PDP has yet to officially respond to the outcome of the poll, as at press time, but reacting to the victory of the APC at the Imo bye-election, State Governor Hope Uzodimma said the election of Blyden Amajuruonwu ‘signalled the liberation of the constituents from many years of political bondage.’

The Governor spoke on Sunday at the Government House Chapel Owerri where he expressed gratitude to all those who participated in the campaign and election that produced Amajuronwu as another APC member in the Imo State House of Assembly.

Under Governor Uzodimma, the party recorded victory in past by-elections that saw Hon Princess Miriam Onuoha and Senator Frank Ibezim of the Okigwe North Federal Constituency and Imo North Senatorial Zone elected.

 “I thank God for liberating the people of Ngor Okpala from the hands of those who have held them hostage for a long time.

“I thank God for life, for his love and for victory, and I congratulate Imo people for the good health we have continued to receive from God.

“I thank the security Agencies in Imo State for always rising to the occasion in the face of difficulties to ensure they bring relative peace and calm to the state.

“Ngor Okpala people understood the message that they have been deceived for a long time and decided to take their faith and destiny in their own hands.

“God has returned Imo State to political stability and sustenance.

‘’God in his infinite mercy is gradually opening our eyes to see him and appreciate the fact that the Shared Prosperity government is ordained by God.

“Instead of wasting their time and resources fighting God-given power and authority they should use same to improve the life and wellbeing of Imo State and her citizens, the governor said.