The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday boycotted the rescheduled Anambra governorship election in Idemili North Local Government Area, describing the exercise as “a charade and mockery of democracy”.
Addressing newsmen in Awka on Sunday, the governorship candidate of the party, Sen. Chris Ngige, said the party was also considering calling for the cancellation of the entire election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rescheduled the election in the Obosi following the late arrival of materials.
Ngige said the late arrival of the materials was not only witnessed in Obosi but also in Awka South, Ogbaru, Njikoka and Idemili South local government areas, describing the areas as his stronghold.
“For example, in Idemili North, none of the polling units had result sheets and when they did in some areas, they arrived late when voters had left their booths.
“In Idemili South, especially my town in Alor , the voters’ register had the names of some eligible voters missing. It was a systematic rigging to remove the names of those favourable to me.
“There were forceful locking out of agents of our party in Onitsha North, Awka South, Nnewi South, Ogbaru, Anaocha and parts of Orumba.
“There were multiplicity of security officials and our party observers, including Nasir el-Rufai, national women leader, Mrs Sharon Ikeazo, and other ex-officio members who came to monitor the election were confined to a control room,” he said.
The governorship candidate said he had filed a petition to INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to complain that the election was compromised.
“I weep for Nigeria because this is a country of great hopes but this generation has decided not to bequeath any good to the coming generations.
“We will end up leading them to human socio-economic quagmire. We are not going to participate in the charade that is going on in Obosi electoral division.
“When we made our request calling for an election in all the 306 polling units in Idemili against Obosi alone, we also said we were all Christians of different denominations in the state.
“Today is our day of worship. The Churches start from 6:00 a.m. and conclude at about 3:00 p.m.
“Therefore, conducting an election on a Sunday is an affront to our religious belief and we don’t want our supporters to think we don’t honour God on a day of worship,’’ Ngige said.
According to him, the exercise gives the notion that INEC has taken one step forward from the 2011 general polls and three steps backward in the Anambra election.
Fielding questions from newsmen, Ngige added that by the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2011, APC had the right to go to court to challenge the poll.
“With what has transpired and the degree of fraud, especially the question of result sheets not being sent with other election materials, we make further demands for the cancellation of the exercise,” he noted.
