BY ABBANOBI – EKU ONYEKA
ABUJA
Disappointed and dissatisfied with what he described as manipulations by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the recently conducted governorship and state assembly elections in his South East geopolitical zone and the rest of the zones and states in the federation, and overwhelmed by the performance of the Labour Party (LP), believed to be dominated by Nigerian youths and that of INEC presiding officer in Abia state, the former chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Chief Simon Okeke (Ochendo Amichi) urged Nigerian youths to ensure that they retire the old and sit-tight politicians who he accused of drawing the country backward.
The Ochendo Amichi of Anambra state spoke to our correspondent to that effect Tuesday in Abuja.
Hailing and charging the youths to wake up and take their rightful positions in the country, he had this to say: “In Anambra, my state, and other states of the federation, I can see a change on the way; I can see the Labour Party (LP) taking over from the ruling, All Progressives Congress (APC), and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), sooner than later. There is a wind of change in Nigeria, from the South East to the rest of Nigeria.”
He continued: “The youths are waking up to take their rightful positions in the country, free from religion, tribe or geography. The old and sit-tight politicians will soon be retired, and the youths to take over and move the country forward. They should keep working toward retiring the old and sit-tight politicians and take their rightful positions.”
Advising the LP to be open in admitting new members and urging them to be cautious in doing that, Okeke, therefore, said that the party was like the biblical stone the builders rejected, which according to him, will soon be the cornerstone.
Haling the INEC presiding officer in Abia state, Prof Nnenna Oti, for having regard for integrity and ensuring that the people’s vote counted, which according to him, made Alex Otti, the LP candidate, emerge as the governor-elect in the state, he, however, faulted the manner and way the one of Enugu state was manipulated. That had to the emergence of PDP candidate as the governor-elect.
He said that the LP candidate was leading his PDP counterpart with about 80,000 or 90, 000 votes and wondered how the result from one local government could make the PDP candidate win the election. This is why he faulted the process in its entirety.
He, however, hailed the peaceful election in Anambra state but was quick to inform that he was told that the government in power in the state used a lot of money to secure the number of seats at the assembly. He further informed that he was told that the traditional and other rulers in the state were threatened with withdrawal of their positions, should the APGA not win in their domain. “If this is true,” he went on, “let the people’s will be allowed to manifest devoid any intimidation or similar vices, at every election, within and outside the state.