APC wants Ugwuanyi to reorganize ESIEC, suspend LG poll

The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has demanded for the overhaul of the state’s electoral body and suspension of the proposed November local government poll. MAURICE OKAFOR in Enugu reports

From every indication, the Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is getting set to lead strong opposition against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state. The APC is currently crying foul, alleging that some of the electoral processes and conduct of elections had always been designed to favour PDP. It cautioned that the trend must not continue.

The Hallmark checks in the records of the 2015 general election in the state, shows that PDP won glaringly and produced candidates of all the elective positions in the state. These include the state governorship election, won by Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. The three senatorial districts elections of the state, which enhanced the return of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as deputy president of the senate, and likewise the eight House of Representatives members from Enugu state were all elected on the banner of PDP.

At the home front, all the 24 member of the state House of Assembly and the councilors of the 260 wards in the state, were all elected on the platform of PDP.  Previous records showed that the PDP has dominated the political landscape of Enugu state since inception of the fourth Republic politics in 1999.  The party has always boasted that opposition does not exist in Enugu state.

For instance, the immediate past governor of the state, Mr. Sullivan Chime, who also was the PDP party leader in the state by the virtue of his position, at the occasion of the launch of the 2015 general election campaigns of the state PDP at Okpara Square, boasted that every known politician in Enugu state, belongs to PDP, not minding the internal rancours. He further boasted that the APC in the state was merely chasing shadows.

From the results of the 2015 general election in the state, the PDP lived up to its words, though the APC is presently challenging the declaration of Hon Ugwuanyi as governor of the state, by the Independent National Election Tribunal, INEC, at the governorship election tribunal, sitting at Enugu. The APC boasts that it will unseat governor Ugwuanyi at the tribunal.

The state chairman of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye, who briefed a group of news men in Enugu recently, after the party’s stakeholders meeting which was attended by both the state governorship candidate, Dr Okey Ezea, Chief Emma Eneukwu, the South East zonal chairman of the party, among others,  described Ugwuanyi’s stay at Enugu government House as very temporary.

Nwoye stated that,”As far as the Enugu state APC is concerned, governor Ifeanyi Ugwanyi, of the PDP is enjoying a stolen mandate, and that makes him a temporary tenant at the government house’.

He stressed that his party’s hope of reclaiming the mandate is also hinged on the fact that the election was heavily marred by irregularities, as well as availability of overwhelming evidences against Uwguanyi’s declaration by INEC.

The chairman said APC in the state is already repositioning itself ahead of her expected victory, adding that “those saying that we are in crisis are only making a big mistake.

“You can see that all members of the state (Exco) are here, including all the stakeholders in our party.

“Hope you saw our National Vice chairman, South East, Hon. Emma Enukwu, our gubernatorial candidate, Okey Ezea is here, among all other stakeholders.”

“So, we want to use this medium to dispel the speculation in some quarters, that APC in Enugu state is in crisis, we are not in crisis, we are one united big family”

Further to its boast to unseat governor Ugwuanyi, the Enugu state chapter of APC has raised allegations of envisaged undemocratic manipulation of the forth coming council elections in the state by the PDP. The party is calling for the dissolution of the state electoral commission, the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission, ENSIEC.

There is pressure on Ugwuanyi, to jettison the idea to conduct council elections for now, considering the cost implication.

But the Enugu state chapter of APC, at its recent meeting alleged that the state electoral commission led by Dr Bonny Eneh, is playing a hide and seek to deliver the envisaged November 2015 council election in the state to PDP, in all the 260 wards of the state and also the 17 council chairmen.

A press statement by the state publicity secretary of APC in Enugu state, Mrs. Kate Offor threatened that the APC will head to the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies, if governor Ugwuanyi permits the conduct of November 2015 supposed council elections in Enugu state by ENSIEC, as it is presently composed.

The APC claims that the present ENSIEC led by Eneh is yet to make public pronouncement on the strategies for the conduct of the forth coming council election, on whether issues surrounding the usage of permanent voters card, PVCs will be resolved or not.

The APC said the ENSIEC leadership has kept them in the dark and stated, “It is our fear that Dr Eneh may wake from his slumber and reel out results where PDP will once again win all the 260 councillorship seats and 17 chairmanship seats as if no other party exists in Enugu state.”

The APC stated “going by Dr Eneh’s opaque tactics, it doubtful whether the place of permanent voters card and card readers will be guaranteed. Therefore, the party is on the neck of Governor Ugwuanyi to cancel the conduct of the forth coming council election in Enugu state, even though Ugwuanyi is yet to take a decision on whether to grant the conduct of council election in the state in November 2015 or not.

Obviously, the APC fears that it may lose out, if council election is conducted in Enugu state in November, 2015.

But Mr. Uwakwe Abugu, the chief press secretary to governor Ugwuanyi in his reply to the claims of the APC in Enugu state, said there has been no verdict against ENSIEC not to have lived up to expectations with its conduct of the state council elections. Therefore it will tantamount to an aberration of the democratic process to bar ENSIEC from discharging its constitutional duties to the citizenry because of unproven allegations.”

Uwakwe said the opposition should face its problems rather than dictate to the governor on how to carry out its mandate.

Far beyond politics, the Hallmark checks in Enugu state observed that issues surrounding the operational advantage and economic values of running the local government system in Enugu state, as enshrined in the constitution has become a bone of contention. There are contrary views that the operators since the democratic principle was cultured in Enugu state in 1999 have not delivered the desired democratic dividends and values in the rural areas.

The critics of the council governance base their argument on the poor state or total non existence of social amenities in the rural communities of the state, and the poverty that stares on the face of the rural dwellers. Therefore, they hold the opinion that Governor Ugwuanyi should jettison the idea of enthroning the council chairmen in his first tenure, and sincerely use funds accruing to the state to embark on grassroots development.

The Hallmark recalled that some executive members of the previous administration in Enugu state under former governor Chimaroke Nnamani, were dragged to the EFCC over allegations of tampering with council funds to the tune of over N5billion. The immediate past administration in the state under Sullivan Chime, though instituted a grassroots development policy through visit every community (VEC), but the inability of the state chief executive to enthrone a proper monitoring team, to ensure the council chairmen are marching their words with action, was the bane of poor rural development within his eight year rule in Enugu state.

In a bid to plug leakages in the local government system, the state chief executive has set up an 11man committee to verify the exact number of staff strength in every council area through Biometric data verification, the internal generated revenue, IGR and developmental projects in the council areas. The speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Edward Ubosi is heading the committee.

The state commissioner for information, Dr Godwin Uduehele expressed optimism that the process is bound to yield positive results in the mission of the present administration to restructure council administration in Enugu state, with aim of achieving positive results and endearing rural development across the state.

He explained during a recent parley with Correspondents in Enugu that there is a mandatory order for all council chairmen to consider issue of prompt payment of salaries to local government staff, as a major priority.