The Alliance for Democracy gubernatorial candidate in Imo State and the Leader of Ikenga Youth Movement, Comr. Chidi Nwigwe has called on the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] gubernatorial candidate Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha to concede defeat ahead of the April 25, 2015 supplementary elections.
Speaking in Owerri, the Ikenga Youth Movement leader said the supplementary election is a waste of tax payers’ resources because the actual number of PVCs collected in the 256 polling booths where the supplementary elections will be held is less than the number of votes Gov. Rochas Okorocho of All Progressives Congress (APC) is using to lead Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.
Mr. Nwigwe added that it is as impossible as the camel passing through the eye of a needle for the PDP candidate to bag all the votes with other candidates scoring zero in the re-run and so urged him to concede defeat now to save Imolites the uneasy tension, uncertainty and fear of violence in the state.
He highlighted that although INEC has stated that there are about One Hundred and Fourty four Thousand seven hundred and fifteen [144,715] registered voters in the two hundred and fifty six polling units where the supplementary elections will be held, there are less than eighty thousand PVCs collected in the area which means it is practically impossible for the incumbent governor to lose to anyone.
“We understand INEC is trying to follow electoral laws but at the end of the day, we will be wasting resources in the state. The wait for the election has not done Imo State any good because youths are being incited into violent acts and if this trend continues, itcould lead to anarchy and total breakdown of law and order if the will of the people is subverted”, he asserted.
“There must be a winner and there must be a loser. Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha should emulate the good sportsmanship spirit of President Goodluck Jonathan who said that his ambition is not worth the head of any Nigerian. He should concede defeat and congratulate Gov. Okorocha on his well-deserved victory. If he loses this year, he should just wait for 2019” He said.
Comr. Chidi Nwigwe however called on youths across the state to open their eyes and avoid following politicians sheepishly. He charged them to listen to unbiased analysis to know the truth and not letting themselves be incited into violence with one-sided comments as this might lead to a serious chaos in the state and the politicians will never be victims.
He also charged Imolites to keep calm because justice and the voice of the people will prevail at the end of the day. He congratulated Gov. Okorocha in advance, saying that he deserved to steer the state for another four years.
“Youths should shun every act of violence and electoral malpractices like ballot box snatching or anything that could undermine the peaceful conduct of the supplementary election in the state.
I congratulate Gov. Okorocha in advance on his well-deserved victory and I also urge other gubernatorial candidate especially Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, who has put up a good fight to do the same” He added.
Speaking further, Comr. Nwigwe said that if Gov. Okorocha could make his record of unprecedented achievements in an opposition party, it means he would be doing greater things now that he is in alignment with the incoming APC federal government.
He called on Imolites in the affected 256 polling booths to go out en masse and vote Governor Okorocha because Imo cannot afford to be an opposition state for another four years.
