By Okey Maduforo Awka.
The fixing of September 28th date for the conduct of local government election in Anambra state has set the duo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA and the Labour Party in the area on war path as both are currently fighting dirty.
Member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency and Chairman Labour Party Caucus at the National Assembly Chief Afam Ogene has described this development as an ambush by the APGA led government contending that it is a move to frustrate other political parties from participating in the election and disenfranchising eligible voters from excising their civic duties.
“Armed with this curious amendment, the Anambra state government has gone ahead to hurriedly fix local government elections for September 28, 2024, thereby causing unease in the state’s political ecosystem”
“With this surprising amendment in hand, the Anambra state government has hastily announced local government elections for September 28, 2024, causing widespread fears regarding a pre-determined outcome”
“The newly imposed 30-day notice period for local government elections will lead to widespread disenfranchisement at the grassroots level. Within this truncated timeframe, it will be nearly impossible for stakeholders to conduct meaningful consultations, organize primary elections, secure funding, and prepare for the election without government support”
“This is a disservice to the people and a mockery of our democracy. By frustrating the enthronement of true democracy at the grassroots level – the foundation of democratic governance – the government is mindlessly undermining the very essence of democratic practice.
“We urge all advocates of democracy to remain vigilant and engaged in the upcoming Anambra local government and state elections, ensuring that the people’s will is not subverted by the state government’s deceitful tactics under Governor Soludo’s leadership.”he said.
National Publicity Secretary of APGA Mazi Ejimofor Opara dismissed the submissions of the Labour Party noting that Ogene shot himself on the foot.
What Ogene has done is to shoot himself on the leg because interestingly the six lawmakers of his party the Labour Party were part of the Assembly session ”
“He sees them by this statement as dumbs set of lawmakers because if they participated in the amendment of the Anambra State Electoral Law he has expressed lost of confidence in his party members ”
“Is Ogene telling us that the Labour Party members will appropriate and re-appropriate at the same time ? ”
“So he should channel his protest to the six Labor Party members at the state Assembly and he should carry out a probe of their individual contributions to that law and also provide proof if they were not part of the legislation at the chambers of the Assembly ” he said.
Reacting to the submissions of the All Progressives Congress APC Interactive Forum led by Mr Uzodimma Nwaogalanya the National Publicity Secretary of APGA South East Chief Ojukwu Obakasi described them as those who are afraid of losing at the coming election.
“They are afraid of losing and truth be told that the members of ANSIEC are not APGA members and as other parties got the notice of the election date that was how we got the date ”
“They should go and prepare for the election and not To go about playing the blame game all the time ”
“People have been clamouring for the conduct of local government election at the time has come and instead of going to prepare for the election they are waisting man hours complaining ” he said.
