ANAMBRA ELECTION: Parties In Tough Quarrel On National Television (VIDEO)
The Anambra governorship election has continued to generate more controversies with candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Chris Ngige, Labour Party, Ifenayi Uba and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Victor Umeh, exchanging comments in grievance.
Part of the claims of the APC and the Labour Party (LP) are that minors voted in the election that was declared inconclusive by the electoral commission, with a supplementary election scheduled for November 30.
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On Channels Television’s Saturday morning programme, Sunrise, the two parties presented an alleged Voters’ Register that had the image of a minor voter marked, claiming that minors voted in the election, which had only 24.04 per cent of the registered voters participating.
Senator Ngige claimed that they were deceived by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and insited on a total cancelation of the election.
Alleged Minor Voters
Senator Ngige expressed disappointment over the declaration by INEC and said that the decision to
continue the election would “inflict more damage to the Anambra people and Nigerians”.
“I do not understand what he is saying. We are shocked that he said the electoral commission will conduct a supplementary election in Anambra State. Supplementary election with fraud voters’ register which is the foundation of any election?” he questioned.
The Senator alleged that areas where he recorded high votes in the Senatorial election were disenfranchised.
He tendered a copy of the voter’s register and insisted that minors were allowed to vote in the incumbent governor’s local council to push up the number of votes.
The labour Party’s candidate, Ifeanyi Ubah, cited the Electoral Act and pointed out that the electoral body violated the provisions of the Act.
“The section 20 of the Act says that voters register must be placed 30 days before the election and not 3 days,” he said.
‘Losers’ Statements’
Mr. Ubah also insisted that minors voted in in the election.
“With all the atrocities in the register, I consider the result sheet invalid,” he stated.
Mr. Umeh, of APGA, the party leading in the election based on results released so far, described their claims as ‘losers’ statements’.
He pointed out that the register that the APC and LP candidates were tendering was apparently the one used in 2011 election.
“There is nothing indicating that the register is from INEC. There were minors that registered in 2011 before INEC used affix to remove under-aged people from the Voters’ Register.
“I did not see a minor in the polling booth I voted on the election day.
“If you have any case with the register, the place to use it is at the Election Tribunal,” he stressed.
He alleged that the images were superimposed on the document tendered by the oppositions.
A spokesman of the electoral body, Mr. Kayode Idowu, upheld the commission’s earlier statements, insisting that the voter’s register given to the political parties three days to the election was the same with that issued about 30 days earlier.
Mr. Kayode explained that in 2011, communities forced polling officials to register minors in the State.
“Communities conspired to do this and the issue of minors is a collective responsibility. We should dis-aggregate the issues that we are raising and look at who is responsible for what in this matter,” he stated.
The session was called off as heated arguments arose as the guests could no longer control their temper.
However, it was a different scene outside the studios, as Ifeanyi Uba and Victor Umeh were seen exchanging pleasantries confirming the saying that in politics, there are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends.
Lawyers have said that the electoral body lacked legal backing to cancel an election after it had declared its results.
To this end, the commission’s chairman Attahiru Jega, had on Friday told a press conference that supplementary would hold on November 30.
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