Ngige Should Be Watched Closely - Obi's Aide

As the electorate in Anambra State, awaits Saturday for the supplementary governorship election in some polling units, Senior Special Assistant, Media & Publicity to Governor Peter Obi, Mr Valentine Obienyem has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission on how to ensure successful conclusion of the election.

In a Press Release yesterday, Obienyem said the activities of the All Progressive Congress candidate in the election, Dr Chris Ngige, offered home work for the INEC towards concluding the poll. Obienyem said his observation was hinged on the disinformation campaign being mounted by Ngige against INEC and the conduct of the election.

For us in Anambra State, we are familiar with Ngige’s politics of revisionism; we have gotten used to his penchant for transferred aggression each time he loses an election. Till today Ngige has not accepted that he lost the 2003 governorship election. He does not accept that in 2010, Mr Peter Obi beat him again in the governorship poll. Would it not be asking too much of the same man to accept that he has lost this third attempt at the governorship? It is therefore very important that the officials of INEC understand where he is coming from. This insight is necessary to understanding Ngige’s vicious propaganda against those he seeks to blame his defeat at the November 16 election on’, the Release stated.

The governor’s image maker contended that the APC candidate was making all sorts of wild claims on the election for political capital. ‘None of Ngige’s allegations can stand up to scrutiny. What was the worth of the evidence of the 446 witnesses he mobilized to the tribunal in 2004? The tribunal consigned their submissions to the dustbin. Their so – called evidence was calculated to achieve miscarriage of justice. A similar scenario is playing out, designed to deny the APGA and its candidate Willie Obiano of their hard – earned victory.’

Obienyem maintained that since the APC candidate was insisting to be privy to secrets about the governorship election, he should be watched closely by the INEC and security agents as the supplementary election takes place. ‘Ngige should be assisting the security agencies now with explanations on the alarm raised by his Campaign Organization before the election that NYSC and army uniforms were being sewn in the State. Where and how did he discover this development, if it was not a ruse? How did he know that these outfits were to be used to rig election? What was his party chieftain El Rufai doing in Anambra on the day of the election? If there were irregularities in the November 16 poll, did it not follow that the APC whose members were arrested in Owerri for related offences was the party trying to subvert the electoral process?’

 ‘Given the implications of the above, INEC will do well to consider every misinformation by Ngige on the conduct of the November 16 poll as a clue to planned rigging of the supplementary election by desperate politicianss like Ngige', the Release said.

Concluding Obienyem said that even as Ngige was threatening to boycott the election for display sake, that he had directed his members to start campaigning secretly so that, having deceived Nwoye to boycott the election, he would come second.