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By Madu Obi
Elders of Nimo in Njikoka local government area of Anambra State have accused officials of the state Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs of using people who are not from the community to vote during the town union poll, thereby foisting an unpopular leadership on them.
Members of the Nimo Elders Forum, whose ages range from 70 years and above, who addressed reporters at Nimo, described the election that took place in the area on January 4, 2024 as a rape on the constitution of the community.
Spokesman of the elders, Ogbuefi Fred Awaogu said what happened on that day was not election, but a flagrant abuse and rape of the Nimo Constitution, warning that any society not governed by laws would be like animal society.
He said: "Against the provisions of the Nimo Constitution, the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Collins Nwabunwanne, conducted the elections with an improvised register, asking the few people around to write their names and quarters."
"This led to strangers from Abacha and Eziowelle in Idemili North local government area and even Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, writing their names and were allowed to vote."
"Now we ask, can elections be conducted in Nigeria without the electoral body and without a voters register? The Nimo Constitution provided that only those who are financially up to date can vote and be voted for. This was thrown aside by the Commissioner."
"Again, there was a court suit querying the qualification of some candidates, which was ignored too."
"Efforts were made by people to be shown the register where those candidates marked attendance to meetings, but the registers were not produced by the Nimo Town Development Union, NTDU, on the grounds that the electoral committee had postponed the election due to the assumed irregularities surrounding the election, which metamorphosed into litigation."
"The Nimo Constitution provided for secret ballot which the Town Union Electoral Committee adopted, but the Commissioner insisted on Option A4."
According to him, the Commissioner had no right to conduct an election as he was only supposed to be an observer.
Describing what happened in the community as administrative rascality, Awaogu vowed that the alleged gross irregularities and constitutional breaches cannot stand.
"As peace loving and concerned elders of the town, we call on Mr Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to not only call his Commissioner to order, but to put machinery in motion for the rescheduling of the elections as and when due."
"We insist that the process must be right so that justice will be served. We trust on the sagacity of Mr Governor to do the right thing, address this anomaly and call the Commissioner to order, knowing full well that Nimo Community is Soludo, and Soludo is Nimo Community."
"We also eagerly await the actions of Your Excellency Prof. Charles Soludo in curtailing some excesses of Mr. Commissioner, using Nimo and Neni as a case study of his administrative high-handedness", the elders said.
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