Going by the preparations of both the PDP and APC in the Imo state re-run poll this Saturday, the atmosphere can rightly be described as tensed. CHIDIEBERE OKONKWOreports that the fight is between APC and PDP and all stakeholders have devised all manners of campaigns to emerge winner at the end of the excercise.
The novelty known in local parlance as supplementary governorship election in the political engineering of the state first occurred four (4) year ago (2011) when the state governorship election was declared inconclusive and a supplementary election organized on the 6th of May to determine the eventual winner of the hotly contested poll between the then state governor Chief Ikedi Ohakim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the incumbent governor Rochas Okorocha then All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate.
So, the highly politically conscious state is to be subjected to another governorship supplementary election on Saturday the 25th of this month consequent upon the inconclusive governorship election which had governor Okorocha of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and his arch rival Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the main gladiators.
The duo had prior to the election, embarked on an aggressive grassroots election campaign, navigating the 637 autonomous communities and 305 electoral wards in the state, dangling and brandishing their manifestoes to the electorate with imposing bill boards, and posters firmly placed in strategic positions.
With the eventual conduct of the election on Saturday 11th April 2015, and the pronouncement of inconclusive result by the Returning officer- Prof. Oluwole Ibidapo Obeh, a new era of a repeat performance of the 2011 electoral saga has again been set on stage.
Professor Ibidapo Obeh while addressing a teaming anxious journalists, party agents, INEC staff and numerous stakeholders explained that he was constrained to pronounce the result of the election inconclusive following incontrovertible electoral dislocations, frauds and irregularities perpetrated by agents of the various participating parties.
According to him, while elections did not take place in some polling units, the results that emanated from some areas were spurious, fake and fictitious and did not tally with the total number of registered voters.
Ibidapo Obeh – a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos explained the total number of registered voters in the state and the total of the votes cast, in addition to the total was rejected even as he equally gave the breakdown of the performance of the political parties that participated in the election.
A bewildered governor Okorocha who had all along maintained a studied silence was to liberate himself from a self imposed bottled up emotions when on Tuesday 14th of April he spoke to newsmen and bared his mind to the people.
“To God be the glory for a day like this. I thank you all for your show of support and solidarity to me, before during and after the elections.
“Imo is our state and we have the responsibility to protect it irrespective of the political party in power and we should all rise and defend democracy which is “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
Assuring that the wish to the people must prevail, the governor recalled his repeated entreaties for the Igbo to join the All Progressive Congress (APC) so as to join the nation’s political equation and expressed gratitude to God that the victory of General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) in the presidential election had vindicated him. He also thanked the church, and members of the clergy for their consistent supplications that eventually saved the nation from plunging into a state of anarchy during the elections.
The governor however frowned at the internecine violence, and skirmishes that visited the polls in some local government areas of the state such as Aboh Mbaise Ahiazu Mbaise, Ezinihitte Isu and Njaba where he said some government officials were beaten up by thugs engaged by the opposition parties for attempting to defend democracy and also ensure that the wish of the people prevailed.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to collate the remaining results in some polling stations and declare him the authentic winner of the election, boasting that he had met all the constitutional requirements to emerge victorious.
Should the nation’s electoral umpire remain adamant in releasing the results, the governor stated his preparedness to face the proposed re-run election, expressing optimism that he would still triumph over his opponents.
Jolted by the recent demonstrations of some PDP youths over the aftermath of the elections, governor Okorocha enjoined the people of the state to remain calm and law abiding, even as he advised the leadership of the PDP to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship, concede defeat and emulate the exemplary step of President Goodluck Jonathan in respect of the just concluded Presidential election.
“Our victory can be delayed but cannot be denied and I commend all who suffered one form of brutality or the other during the election and I assure you that my government will take steps to alleviate your feelings.
“The change at the centre will usher in more democracy dividends, stronger peaceful co-existence among neigbours, our results cannot be re-written to favour our opponents and our victory will be dedicated to the good people of Imo State because what is important is not who rules or wins election but who has the spirit to uplift the living standard of the masses.”
Undoubtedly, the inconclusive governorship election as pronounced by Professor Ibidapo Obeh and which will take place on Saturday 25th of the month has heightened tension and anxiety in the state.
While some individuals see it as a good development not a few think otherwise, contending that with an incredible wide margin of 79,000 votes the Rescue mission governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, ought to have been declared the winner of the polls.
Okorocha, although demoralized by the position of INEC has professed his preparedness to participate in the forthcoming re-run political battle that would ultimately determine who pilots the affairs of the Eastern Heartland in the next four (4) years.
Already, the possible outcome of the envisaged 25th April re-run polls has become a common discourse among the populace with market women, commercial vehicle drivers, keke Napep operators, traders, civil servants, students leading the pack of discussants.
Amidst the raging political uncertainty, what however appears arcane is the mass exodus of members of the main opposition party (PDP) to the victorious nascent APC, thus vitiating the collective spirit of the former to wrestle power from the APC political family.
The spirit of the latter (APC) in the unresolved political impasse has undoubtedly been rekindled and strengthened by the victory of Muhammadu Buhari in the Saturday, March 28 presidential race, thus eroding and weakening the political base of the once dreaded ubiquitous PDP in the eastern Heartland.
The question is between Okorocha or Ihedioha who wins the poll?” Saturday April 25 the peoples’ votes will speak.
