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A socio-political group, the League of Ogbaru Professionals (LOP), has, once again, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to compromise its stance on equity, justice and fairness.
In a trending video by Chief of Protocol and Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Chinedu Glamour, government had declared that “as at today, as declared by INEC, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has four seats and one is inconclusive, the Ogbaru federal constituency (and) APGA is leading as at today.”
But debunking the notion, Charles Ezekude, chairman of League of Ogbaru Professionals, wondered where Governor Soludo’s aide got the figures to suggest that APGA was in the lead.
Ezekude said: “Until we cried out against the interference by the Anambra State government last week, necessitating a directive from INEC headquarters, Abuja for a diligent re-collation of polling unit results, the Labour Party candidate was comfortably ahead of APGA and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In fact, from the local government collation results compiled by the Local Government Collation Officer, Josephine Okoli, before the APGA interference, the Labour Party had 10,339 votes as against 9,125 votes garnered by APGA, and 8,971 by the PDP.
“One is, therefore, at a loss as to how Glamour, not being an INEC staff, is able to proclaim, authoritatively, that APGA was now in the lead. There is definitely something Governor Soludo and his officials know about the Ogbaru federal constituency seat, that the rest of us, especially Ogbaru people, do not know.
“Exactly one week ago, on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, four top officials of the state government, Political Adviser to the Governor, Alex Obiogbolu, Information Commissioner, Paul Nwosu, Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters Commissioner, Collins Nwabunwanne, and his Special Duties counterpart, Sly Ezeokenwa, had swooped on INEC headquarters, Awka and spent the hours, 9 am to 6 pm, shuttling from one office to another, over the same Ogbaru federal constituency result.
“Let it be on record that the people of Ogbaru who invested their trust and votes on the Labour Party, would not stand idly by while strangers attempt to hijack their collective will.
“While we wait on the electoral body to do what is right, we urge Governor Soludo to rein in his officials, who appear bent on tarnishing his hard-earned reputation.”
