Opposition Parties In Abia State Must Be Encouraged To Go To The Tribunal Now

GREAT IMO JONATHAN

Yesterday night, I read Ikpeazu’s Chief Press Secretary, Enyinnaya Apollos, saying that “those who lost in the election should” join them. That “in every election or contest, there must be a winner and losers”

He went further to say that “Ikpeazu dedicated his victory to God for perfecting all his efforts and that of the campaign teams”

And I asked: which loser and which victory? How can someone describe a daylight robbery as victory and then turn around and call his victim a loser and also invite him to his own abuse?

Going by their comments, it is obvious that they are still unrepentant; they are yet dealing in propaganda and peddling lies. And they are still seeking means to cover their rigging tracks.

But to deal with that, I will like to make reference to the Holy Bible, where the scripture sought an answer by asking us: if the foundation be faulty, what can the righteous do? It is important to proceed on this premise because therein lies the solution.

Hence my answer to that is that the righteous must bring down the structure first and then lay a new and solid foundation, upon which he intends to build an enduring edifice.

With reference to that, I want to boldly encourage opposition parties in Abia State to challenge the PDP claim to victory at the tribunal, because what we had in Abia State on 9th March, 2019, was nothing but a daylight robbery and brazen attempt to set the state on the path of violence. But for the decency of the two major opposition candidates; Dr. Uche Ogah of the APC and Dr. Alex Otti of APGA.

Okezie Ikpeazu and his co travellers are very much aware that he did not win the mandate of the people. All the nineteen thousands appearing from Ugwunagbo, Isiala Ngwa North, Ohafia and Isiala Ngwa South cannot be substantiated by a simple forensic audit and their INEC collaborators in Abia State are aware that there is nothing they can do about that except to try and mutilate materials used for elections; OF WHICH THE OPPOSITION PARTIES MUST ENSURE THERE IS A COURT ORDER NOW MANDATING INEC TO PROTECT AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE WHEN NEEDED AT THE TRIBUNAL.

Knowing this TRUTH that Ikpeazu did not win a re-election in Abia State, the PDP and its associates have set surrogate writers in motion, including Don Ubani and Enyinnaya Apollos. And their single narrative is that we should allow peace to reign and that an Ngwa man should be allowed to complete his 8 years in power.

Sometimes they go abysmally low with a subtle threat on one of the two major opposition figures in Abia State, reminding him of 2023, when they claim it should be the turn of his people. As if they are now to determine how Nde Abia should do their things.

But they forget that what is at stake here is the future of Abia State and not where the Governor comes from. They also forget that it is about having someone in charge who has the popular mandate of the people and who represent the wishes and aspirations of the people. They forget that, that election was an opportunity for the greater number of genuine voters to determine if the man who has led them in the last 4 years was fit to continue.

But unfortunately for these clandestine writers and subtle intimidators, Abia people saw the worst form of governance in the last 4 years and they are sure that not much will change in the next 4 years given the character of the group of people in power in the state. Despite the yahoo yahoo Enyimba City being bandied around, Nde Abia are very much aware that only 6 pillars was raised in Aba in the last 4 years, in the name of Osisioma Bridge. And with so much left undone in the last 4 years, there is no hope of a quantum leap in infrastructural development in the next 4 years; given the character of people with the stolen mandate and their propensity for frivolity and pilferage of state resources.

Hence, it is in the best interest of Nde Abia that opposition parties are encouraged to go to the tribunal and retrieve the mandate or at least get the shambolic result annulled.

This is important because we cannot build a progressive state on the foundation of falsehood and mercantile politics. In a democracy the foundation for progressive development is laid on free fair credible elections, where the people are given the opportunity to choose the kind of leaders they want and are allowed to take the blame for the consequences of their decision. But whereby elections are determined by INEC Result Merchants and a click of local cabal, beneficiaries of such high class electoral robbery are always at liberty to do what they like. And then the state ends up going round in the same circle of excuses and mindless deception at the expense of millions of destinies trapped in the wicked debacle.

By encouraging the opposition to go to the tribunal to expose the fraud that took place in Abia State on the 9th of March, 2019, we will be doing the people a great service. At least we will end up putting it on record that the will of the people cannot easily be subverted and that those who think Abia people can be taken for granted are mistaken. It will show how serious we are as a people and that we are determined to have quality leadership and good governance. It will send a signal to everyone seeking to govern Abia State that only serious minded people are needed in government.

Opposition parties in Abia State must not allow anybody to blackmail them into not going to the tribunal. If the PDP is confident of the victory it is rejoicing over, then it should be bold enough to go to the tribunal to defend it and not result to ethnic manipulations and other subtle inanities to shut the people up.

After all, PDP at the national is challenging the result of the Presidential election and nobody has told them not to do so. And Abia PDP being a part of PDP national, it is simple hypocrisy for it to see those challenging its acclaimed victory in the state as enemies.

Whichever way we all look at it, getting to the root of any victory in an election should be a commendable effort, because it enriches our democracy and ensures that the popular wishes of the people are respected.

Hence, Okezie Ikpeazu and the PDP should be bold enough to come and tell the world how come 1900 people voted for it in Isiala Ngwa North, 1900 people voted for it in Ohafia, 1900 people voted for it in Isiala Ngwa South and another 1900 in Ugwuanagbo; with 78000 people in Obi Ngwa also. A simple forensic audit of all biometrics will do and then we can proceed from there.

Until then, Ikpeazu’s so called victory dance is a dance of shame and anybody boasting about PDP victory in Abia state is a clown.

 

Great Imo Jonathan writes from Umuahia, Abia State.