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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Colonel Chinyenre Obi (rtd) was celebrated in the social media when she trekked a10-kilometer distance, calling out Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Ahmed Bola Tinubu for the same exercise.
But the 74-year-old is in the news again, this time for another reason.
The Imo State-born retired soldier was last weekend during the state assembly election manhandled by thugs.
She also said that what transpired during the election was not different from what obtained during military regime. Excerpts:
Can you share your election experience with us after your 10 kilometers trekking in Abuja and why you have been unhappy with Nigeria?
Which way is Nigeria heading, I don’t understand Nigeria anymore. I don’t know if we’re fighting a war or searching for peace at my age. I live in Abuja, but came down to the East since the first week of November and since then I’ve not gone back. I left whatever I’m doing to make sure Nigerian youths would be in peace. I might be old but youthful in mind. Since I came to the East, I’m no longer seeing peace, I can’t understand again, a man was seen in a viral video tearing his international passport because he has lost faith and hope in Nigeria. On Saturday during the State Assembly election in my own village, Dikenafai in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State; Hope Uzodimma is married to my cousin ,but the chairman of the local government sent thugs to our polling units. The apex leader was giving the INEC staff 200 dollars each, I was a witnessed, I have the video. Before we could know what happened thugs came from nowhere with bottles. I even asked the INEC ad hoc staff how come they don’t have police to guide them . What I saw made me to challenge them. It was unfortunate the elderly ones would come to tell the INEC staff that they wanted to vote for Labour Party and they will show them APC instead. One Emeka Ukoha who said he’s the ward chairman came from nowhere and asked me to get out, that it’s not my polling unit, but they were quick to forget that at my age while I was monitoring the polling units,I bought food worth N2,000 for the police and INEC staff . I wonder how a local government chairman could bring thugs to the polling units .
You talked about your leg being badly hit by the thugs, tell us exactly what happened?
It was the thugs the chairman brought that beat me, one of them used his boot to hit my leg and it pierced my leg and right now the wound is a hole because I’m diabetic.
From your experience of the election, how would you describe the election?
It’s unbelievable, undescribable, it was not an election it’s a war, you can’t call that an election, particularly in Imo State. Where are we heading to, it’s a war not an election, we have not started the governorship election and it’s like this, that means people will die when the governorship election comes, many people are leaving this country, we have all become second class citizens in our own country, election has become a do or die affair, these people we are talking about,how many of their children are in Nigeria? I’m crying for Nigeria, I’m bitter.
So many people have expressed their opinion about the election, can you tell us what you feel about it?
My position is how can APC have 27 over 27 local governments in the State Assembly election, has it ever happened before in the history of Nigeria that APC won all the local government in Imo State? I’m disappointed in INEC ,you can image since the election started the whole of Ideato South polling unit, there was no presence of police until I raised an alarm ,they now sent two police officers to come there after I’ve been beaten ,I’m saying this as a concerned Nigeria .
From your experience in the military and what you have experienced from this present election, would you prefer a military regime?
Yes, if the need for it like what they are doing now arise, why not. If I have the opportunity myself I will, they said we’re in democracy, but we don’t have democracy in Nigeria ,already what is happening now is like the military regime, a little thing that happens they will invite the army. So, what is the difference ,why not allow the military to rule us again ,I won’t be surprised if the military comes back.
