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CHRIS Asoluka and Prof. Chidi Osuagwu, both contestants to the presidency of Ohanaeze have called for the postponement of the election scheduled to hold on January 11, in Owerri, Imo State.
Asoluka and Osuagwu’s views are captured in theirsoluka, below.
Asoluka’s statement reads: “According “In light of the troubling series of events that tend to contravene the fairness, transparency and independence of the upcoming Ohanaeze Ndigbo National General Elections scheduled for January 2021, I would like to appreciate and be guided by the tireless advocacy of a number of Ndigbo organizations and stakeholders, including a strong coalition of organizations, home and in the diaspora including World Igbo Congress (WIC), Igbo World Assembly (IWA), AlaIgbo Development Foundation (ADF), Nzuko Umunna and Aka Ikenga and others under the umbrella of Global Igbo Leaders, for a transparent, credible and free/fair elections in a way that unites rather than divide and embarrass the Igbo nation.
“In the effort to achieve trust and faith in the electoral process, I also entirely align to the call for the standard tests of credible process espoused in recently released statement by some of our most eminent leaders in Imeobi under the aegis of Concerned Imeobi Members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, who among other recommendations, advised for the postponement of the exercise for two (2) months. The reasons are germane, urgent and edifying as the collective future of Ndigbo could be at stake.
“I also humbly join my own voice to raise public awareness on activities of the electoral committee in the midday drama in the name of “electoral process”. This hastily contrived and corrosive act is capable of threatening the future of Ohanaeze Ndigbo as well as having a negative impact on the Igbo race. No wonder many ask whether the hurry and secrecy are not all part of a grand design for coronation rather than any election.
“I have been involved in two previous consecutive electoral processes, in 2012/13 as the chairman of the Electoral Committee and 2016/7 as a member of Prof Anya O Anya-led Electoral Committee that produced the incumbent President General. Never have I witnessed the manner and magnitude of brazenness, total disregard for stakeholders’ sensibilities and basic dictates of transparency and fairness as being perpetrated by the current electoral committee?
“For example, how can the apex Igbo organization announce its electoral committee on 20 December, 2020, waited for nine (9) days to inaugurate it on the 29 December and then expected it to deliver a credible election in two weeks?
“Similarly, how can the chairman of the Committee now act on his own for the whole committee? Given that the committee’s inaugural virtual meeting was on the 2 January, 2021, who approved that terse Press Release on General Elections 2021 issued on 30 December, 2020, promising further publications which never was fulfilled? How can an Adhoc committee issue a regulation for elections without reference to, and approval as required in Article 10 VI which outlines the powers of the General Assembly “to make policies, rules, regulations and programmes”?
“It is only the Imeobi of Ohanaeze Ndigbo that can act temporarily in this behalf as it “shall be responsible for rapid response of urgent issues”. How then does a so-called guideline proposed in a one-page release outlining “schedule of elections and delegate’ composition” emanating from neither a committee meeting nor with Imeobi approval guide electoral conduct? It is an infringement and violation of the Constitution, which I do not intend to subscribe to.
“As succinctly reported in the Concerned Imeobi Members’ statement, “the fundamentals for open, free, fair, credible and transparent elections have been breached brazenly”. I agree completely with its observations on the following situation as at Wednesday January 06, 2021:
• There are no official guidelines as approved by Imeobi;
• There has been no information on venues for elections at all levels;
• No official statement on costs of nomination forms, yet some people have
paid and names drawn up for LGA elections that did not hold;
• The absence of official lists of National General Assembly statutory members and the ones that are associated with the states, as required by the Ohanaeze constitution, two days before the so-called National General
Elections scheduled on 10 January, 2020; and
• The “elected delegates” lists will come up at the earliest on Saturday January 09, 2021 with under a day to go, one wonders when the contestants will receive the delegates’ lists?
“Our elders say that one should speak the truth and call a spade a spade lest our silence be misconstrued for tacit endorsement. Though on my part I have procured and returned the nomination form, it cannot make me blind to wilful illegality. What is wrong is wrong. I support the demand by the Concerned Members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for an immediate Imeobi meeting be convened via Zoom to review its request for postponement of the elections for two months.
“The recommendation is in the best interest of Ndigbo and offer a solid resolution of the looming impasse. A stitch in time, they say, “saves nine”.
Osuagwu, who has pull out of the election, told newsmen in Owerri, that he took the decision following the outcome of concerned Ime-Obi members virtual meeting held on Thursday, that the election should be suspended for failure to adhere to constitutional procedures as well politicization of the process of the election.
He added that the Ime-Obi, requested Nnia Nwodo, outgoing chairman of Ohanaeze, to quickly handed over to the Southeast Christian Association, CAN, to run the affairs of the association for two months and conduct an election.
According to Osuagwu, “I am an aspirant to the chairmanship of Ohanaeze Ndigbo a number of events have occurred and I think they should be discussed publicly.
“The happenings in Ohanaeze have not been handled well and it is bizarre. looking at it,I have bought the form for Ohanaeze election, which was sold for a half a million naira, it is so strange that Ohanaeze expected to be serving the peoples interests is now used in making monkey-like political parties.
“This is part of the problem at the herat of Ohanaeze, we saw people could not differentiate their political interests from the the Ohanaeze election. It is good to tell you that some of the procedures did not follow the guidelines that is why weare concerned about this whole thing.”
Osuagwu pointed out that “On Thursday that the members of Ime-obi elders, met and said that this election cannot continue because it is going to be an embarrassment to the Igbo nation.
“And that the present of Ohanaeze, Chief Nnia Nwodo, should handover to the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, southeast for two months so that a proper election can be organized. I am here to say that I support this move. I endorse the Ime-Obi, that says let things be done in the proper way.
“There is no guidelines, there is no venue, that is the heart of dubiousness. Ohanaeze has constitution which stated the guidelines for the election and anything done outside the constitution is not valid.” – with reports from Vanguard
– Jan 9, 2021 @ 5: 28 GMT /
Tags: Chris Asoluka Nnia Nwodo Ohanaeze Presidency: Aspirants call for postponement of election date Prof. Chidi Osuagwu
