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Who replaces late Maurice Ibekwe?
EMMA OKEREKE,
Special Correspondent
INDEPENDENT
National Electoral Commission (INEC) will today conduct a by-election for the
Okigwe North Federal Constituency to determine who represents it in the House of
Representatives.
This constituency comprises, Okigwe,
Onuimo and Isiala-Mbano local governments of Imo State and voters would be drawn
from the 165,000 registered voters in the area.
Essentially it is a battle for the seat
left vacant following the death of Honourable Maurice Ibekwe, who died early
this year. He was elected to represent the constituency in the lower chamber of
the National Assembly. However, his second tenure was short-lived. He was
arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission under
whose custody he died.
Therefore, this replacement through this
by election is significant and remarkable in different ways as it would open a
new vista of representation and by extension hope of dividends of democracy for
the people of the area.
Surprisingly, only two of the over 30
registered political parties in the country presented candidates for the post.
They are the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives
Grand Alliance (APGA). The PDP�s candidate is Barrister Mike Ohia while, the
APGA candidate is Dr. Godson Offoaro, a journalist.
Barrister Ohia hails from Onuimo LGA, the
same LGA with the deceased occupant of the post, while Dr. Offoaro hails from
Isiala Mbano, the home LGA of the Senator representing Okigwe Senatorial zone
Hon. Chief Ifeanyi Araraume.
Political pundits see this by-election as
a battle royale for the two candidates, their parties and supporters. All are
therefore working round the clock to ensure resounding success at the polls.
However all have expressed fear and
genuine concern over the ability of the INEC to not only ensure a level playing
ground for all the contestants but also ensure that whosoever emerges winner in
the contest is accordingly declared the winner. The question therefore is, how
ready is INEC for this great expectation? Are we expecting any change from the
past where all losers heap their defeat at the feat of INEC?
Imo Resident Electoral Commissioner Mr.
Moses Ogbe is optimistic that the commission would meet the expectations of the
people. Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, Ogbe assured that his commission would
provide a level playing ground for the contestants. According to him, there
would be no incidence of material scarcity or delay of their arrival. He also
said that the non-sensitive materials had been despatched to the LGAs involved,
while the sensitive materials would be delivered on the day of the election. He
also said that the contestants were free to despatch their agents to INEC state
headquarters to observe the distribution of the election materials just as they
were free to despatch agents and poll watchers to the polling booths.
Apparently worried by the past negative
reports involving INEC, he assured that they would not put Imo in bad light
adding that the conduct and outcome of the by-election would be a corrective
exercise to whatever misgiving people hitherto had on previous elections.
Ogbe therefore urged all not to allow
themselves be used for electoral malpractices, violence and political rancour
during the election adding that they should come out en masse and vote according
to their conscience.
That is a good talk you would agree.
However anyone conversant with elections in Nigeria and the fore-election
briefings by the commissioners would simply incline on the saying that the taste
of the pudding is in the eating. So here we wait and see what happens. Be that
as it may, a pertinent question on the lips of many concerned people now is who
wins this by-election? Put differently, who takes over from the late Chief
Maurice Ibekwe? Is it Ohia or Offoaro? There is no doubt that it is a serious
contest in which many "arsenals" would be unleashed to ensure victory by both
camps. We don�t expect anything less. It is however hoped that these be done
within the armbit of the electoral law and the constitutions of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
For Barrister Ohia � the PDP�s candidate,
the coast appears clear for him. Those who hold this view refer first to
circumstances of his emergence as the party�s candidate, the coast appears clear
for him. Those who hold this view refer first to circumstances of his emergence
as the party�s candidate and of course the on-going gospel of continuity of the
ruling PDP.
In other words, that he emerged the
candidate is a reflection of his solidity and competence of those who sponsored
him.
The gospel of continuity favoured him when
the party had in deference to the Imo PDP caucus decision restricted aspirants
from the other two LGAs of Okigwe and Isiala-Mbano from participating. Their
reason was that two major posts of the state deputy governor and Senator had
been filled by them. That left the contest to two sons of Onuimo Barristers Ohia
and Okpaleke. Ohia allegedly supported by Senator Araraume who had the ambition
of being the next Governor of Imo State and a prominent contractor from Okwe in
Onuimo LGA defeated the other candidate Barrister Okpaleke, allegedly supported
by the deputy governor. Chief Araraume and the deputy governor, Engineer Ebere
Udeagu had been rivals in the governorship race for 2007.
There is therefore the belief that the
double strength of these stalwarts who allegedly had been united to support Ohia
by the intervention of the State Governor Chief Achike Udenwa would give him
victory over his opponent.
Again those who tip him for the National
Assembly post point at equity, natural justice and power balancing. They contend
therefore that the late Chief Ibekwe�s replacement should come from Onuimo.
Anything to the contrary would leave Onuimo cheated since the other two LGAs had
produced the deputy governor (Okigwe) and the Senator (Isiala Mbano). For this
camp these among others are the factors that would lend weight to the charisma,
competence, sagacity and political antecedents of Barrister Ohia to give him and
PDP victory at the Saturday polls.
However, for the APGA candidate Dr.
Offoaro, there is a serious conviction in the camp that if INEC and security
agencies act well in their expected role, he would emerge the winner. They
believe and strongly too that the issue at stake is good representation in the
National Assembly. It is therefore, their contention that the exposure,
experience, sagacity and contacts of Dr. Offoaro rather than where he comes from
that would give him the mandate.
He is also relying on the support of the
youths who have more sympathy for the APGA. The youths still see APGA whose
presidential candidate during the 2003 elections, Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu as a
reliable rallying point for Ndigbo.
Indeed, Offoaro�s supporters claim that
even Onuimo LGA will vote for him as the leader of the MASSOP Chief Ralph
Uwazuruike, who respects Ojukwu and is the darling of the youths come from the
area. Some supporters even alleged that the recent security siege on the Okwe
home of Uwazuruike was out of the alleged fear that he was mobilizing for the
elections. Besides, pundits still see possibility of protest from Okigwe and
Isiala Mbano by those who feel slighted by the defeat of the deputy governor�s
candidate by Senator Araraume�s candidate. All these are possibilities that
could swing the pendulum of victory to his side.
Against this backdrop, it is going to be a
titanic battle. A battle where a more credible candidate would emerge to give
Okigwe North Federal Constituency a new vista of credible representation.
Whoever emerges, remains the son of the
zone whose major preoccupation would be attracting democratic dividends to the
constituency. It is against this background that all, irrespective of party
affiliation must strive to avoid rigging and political violence.
Above all, INEC and security agencies must
strive to ensure that their staff, especially INEC ad hoc staff are not used by
some politicians to cause disaffection among the people who are essentially
brothers.
Indeed, where the pendulum of victory will stop would to a
large extent depend on the unbiased role of these federal agencies.
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