By Leo Sobechi, Abuja
Chieftain of Labour Party (LP) in Enugu State, Dr. Alex Obiechina, has said the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, deserves commendation for the massive electoral victory of Peter Obi in the recent presidential and National Assembly polls in the state.
Obiechina disclosed that if Ugwuanyi had chosen to play the role of a ‘small tiger’ like other governors, by attacking the opposition during the election, it would have been hard for LP to produce the impressive outcome that saw the party winning seven out of the House of Representatives seats.
Obiechina, who is also the Spokesperson for North, Middle Belt and South for Obi Campaign Organisation, noted that the outcome of recent poll in which the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was routed, goes to show that Ugwuanyi is truly a man of peace.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, yesterday, Obiechina lamented that some state governors descended into violence and intimidation to save their unpopular rating among the electorate, stressing that it was a shame that most of the cases of recourse to brigandage emanated mainly from the Southern States.
Reacting to controversies over the election results being released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), he urged for caution, saying that the open letter by the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has some nuggets of wisdom to resolving the unfolding quagmire.
He said: “I think Obasanjo spoke out of deep patriotism and love for democratic progress. After 24 years, Nigeria’s democracy ought to have gone pass this stage, where the electoral body would be accused of breaking laws guiding its operations. The Electoral Act 2022 was clear on how results should be released.
“If, for any reason, INEC saw that there was a glitch in its systems, the Commission should have eaten the humble pie to ask for a slight adjustment in timelines, instead of plunging the country into electoral quagmire, 30 years after annulling a presidential poll.
“It is obvious that forces that dismissed LP as mere social media creation were frightened and decided to slow down the party’s rising clout. Despite all the shenanigans, it is obvious that Obi enjoys wide acceptance of Nigerians, who are eager for a new Nigeria.”
Source: The Guardian
