Barely one week after the conduct of Governorship cum House of Assembly elections by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ehime Mbano Council Area in Imo State have known no peace.
As at now, tension, anxiety, fear, rumour and counter rumours have engulfed the entire council area as the masses are suspicious that the popular candidate they voted for to be their representative in the State Assembly is being short changed with an unpopular candidate who allegedly is said of being backed up by few money bags and political leaders of the council area.
The matter is being worsened by inability of the Electoral Commission to make a pronouncement of the actual winner of the House of Assembly seat even though the people are saying that they massively voted, Chief Dom Ekeigwe of Social Democratic Party (SDP) based on his integrity, pedigree and antecedents.
But contrarily to the peoples expectation feelers have it that few money bags and political leaders from the local government area using their money and connections, wants INEC to announce the candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) who to them is unpopular and unknown to them but Personal assistant to one of the apex political leaders of the area.
They insisted that from the field reports that Chief Ekeigwe massively won in 7 out of the 11 wards in Ehime Mbano, thus Monday the people numbering over 3,000 went on peaceful protest in INEC local government headquarters situated at Aba branch and they were escorted by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and his men as well as men of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).
The protesters who were mainly women, men and youths were singing songs registering their grievances and were also carrying placards and leaves as they moved into major roads and densely populated areas of the Council.
Ironically, other members of the Community were ever they go some will voluntarily joined them in the protest shouting “Enough is Enough”, “our votes must be respected”, “these big men and self-made political, godfathers must respect the peoples wish in Ehime Mbano”, “we cannot continue to be their slaves”
Similarly, the protesters carried placards which have inscriptions like “INEC release our mandate to Dom Ekeigwe”, “Dom Ekeigwe is our House of Assembly-Elect”, “Ehime Mbano cannot be sold for N30m, justice must prevail” among other provocative write-up which they dropped at INEC office.
Unfortunately, INEC Staff who were said to have gotten hint of the protest hurriedly locked up their offices and disappeared before their arrival, probably am instruction from their Owerri, State headquarters.
Their Leader, Engr. Valentine Nwaigwe who after reading their protest demand letter and was hailed gave it to the DPO for official head over to the LGA electoral officer.
Nwaigwe expressed disappointment over the delay in pronouncing Dom Ekeigwe as the winner of the 9th March, 2019 Ehime Mbano State Assembly election and warned against toiling with the people’s mandate.
Adding his voice, Mr. Geoffrey Obasi who described himself as a chieftain of SDP and a community leader noted that his people massively voted for Mr. Ekeigwe noting the candidate as man of the people.
Obasi assured that the masses of Ehime Mbano are poised to fight against imposition and appealed to INEC to release their field results and declare Ekeigwe winner as they voted.
Nigeria Horn
