Sheer Waste Of Time And Resources, Participating In Governor Otti’s Local Government Council Elections That Are Merely A Phantom!
Friday (Nkwo) 01-11-2024.
By due process of administrative creation by Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, ABSIEC, and authoritative legislative stamping by Abia State House of Assembly, Abia State has 292 Local Government Council Wards for elections into the seventeen Local Government Councils.
On the other hand, there are 184 electoral Wards created by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for State, National Assembly and Presidential elections.
The reasons behind the creation of additional 108 electoral wards for elections into the Local Government Councils of Abia State were to widen the democratic space in the grassroots and at the same time systematically create employment amongst the teaming unemployed Youths of Abia State, and, by so doing, reduce poverty amongst Abia Youths.
For a consecutive period of 24 years, starting from 1999, the different Governments of Chiefs Orji Uzor Kalu, T A Orji, and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu conducted elections or appointed Transition Committee Councillors based on 292 Electoral Wards, as lawfully created by Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, ABSIEC. It is also important to note that Abia Communities that got the Wards paid fees as stipulated by the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, ABSIEC.
Unfortunately, the bad luck that struck Abia State in 2023 when Mr Alexander Otti became Governor has reversed that fortune. Governor Otti came in and unilaterally jettisoned the lawful existence of 292 State Independent Electoral Wards. Very unlawfully, he has been using only the 184 INEC Wards, unlawfully forcing 108 Abians and their dependents that could have been benefitting from their positions jobless, poor and frustrated. Yet, the Government of Abia State has not refunded the money those Communities paid. Apart from his interest in seeing his fellow human-beings suffer deprivations, what does the State gain by denying Abia Communities of their entitlement? Who says Governor Otti is not a callous man?
On the Local Government Council elections his administration purports to conduct tomorrow, Saturday (Eke) 02-11-2024, it is obvious that the election will be a mere phantom. The Administration will only pretend to conduct an election, when as a matter of fact, the results of the charade could already be in its cupboard waiting for an early announcement.
Most probably, but more certainly, the Government of Alexander Otti would declare 17 Chairmanship Candidates of his unofficial new Party, Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, winners in the seventeen Local Government Councils, and 184 Candidates of the same Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, as winners in the 184 INEC Wards.
In each Ward, and Local Government Council, the Government of Alexander Otti will declare Candidates of his estranged Labour Party, LP, second. PDP will not be allowed to secure even one Councillorship seat in the State. Thank God APC is not participating in that deceitful exercise.
The above scenario and results are what will happen tomorrow, Saturday (Eke) 02-11-2024. Even the famous French Physician, Apothecary, Astrologer and Seer, Nostradamus, would not make a more accurate or better prediction on this absurdity.
Sir Don Ubani; KSC, JP,
Sir Don Ubani’s Compound,
Umuiku-Isi-Asa Autonomous Community,
Ukwa-West LGA.
