The Nimo Town Union election held on the 4th of January to choose a new President General has been described as far from ideal and an abuse of the town’s constitution. This was made known by a group of the town’s senior citizens under the aegis of Nimo Elders Forum when they addressed the media, January 12, in Nimo, Njikoka LGA of Anambra State, reports Jude Atupulazi.
The elders who spoke through their officers, Ogbuefi Akuluouno Ayiba (Chairman); Ogbuefi Akuchukwu Muo (Secretary); and Ogbuefi Fred Awagu JP (PRO), said the manner the election was conducted by the State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Town Union Affairs, Hon Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, left much to be desired; even as they urged the governor of the state, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to wade into the matter and have the election rescheduled.
Addressing newsmen at the briefing, the publicist of the group, Ogbuefi Fred Awagu, said the entire elections were observed in breach of the Nimo Constitution.
His words, ‘What happened on January 4 were not elections but a flagrant abuse and rape of the Nimo Constitution. You must agree with us that any society not governed by laws will be like animal society.
‘The Nimo Town Union Elections were originally scheduled to hold on December 27, 2023, a date usually set aside for such by the town’s constitution. But that day, the town’s constitution was turned on its head in a manner that suggested a hidden agenda by the Commissioner.
‘First, he said that those who had served the first of their two tenures as VP 1, 2 and 3 should not re-contest and they were disqualified against the provisions of the town’s constitution that stipulates two tenures. This is very strange.
‘This decision was taken during a meeting in Awka presided over by the Commissioner with those he handpicked.
‘Secondly, on the day of the elections, a court order, originated by a party, dissatisfied with his disqualification, was served on the electoral committee, which, acting on it, announced the postponement of the elections. The chairman of the electoral committee and the secretary explained to the Commissioner that they would not go ahead with the elections because of this court service but the Commissioner went ahead with the exercise without the electoral body. Another strange development.
‘Against the provisions of the Nimo Constitution, the Commissioner conducted the elections with an improvised register, asking the few people around to write their names and quarters. This led to strangers from Abacha, Eziowelle and even Abakaliki, writing their names and being allowed to vote.
‘Now we ask, can elections be conducted in Nigeria without the electoral body and without a voters register? The Nimo Constitution provided that only those who are financially up to date can vote and be voted for. This was thrown aside by the Commissioner.
‘Again, there was a court suit querying the qualification of some candidates which was ignored too. For example, Engr Daniel Anakpe, who was later declared the winner of the PG election by the Commissioner, only attended the meeting of the Nimo National Assembly once, as against three years prior to the Election year as enshrined in the Nimo Constitution. Some other candidates for other positions had same issue but were cleared in error by the electoral committee, while few others didn’t even purchase the form nor were they screened, but Mr. Commissioner allowed them to contest as against the Electoral Committee Guidelines and as the Town Union Constitution provides.’
Awagu said all efforts were made by people to be shown the register where those candidates marked attendance to meetings but the registers were not produced by the Nimo Town Development Union, NTDU, on the grounds that the Electoral Committee had postponed the election due to the assumed irregularities surrounding the election which metamorphosed into litigation.
He also noted that before then, one of the candidates for VP 1, Hon Chigbo Anadebe, who was a member of the electoral committee, had been suspended for partisanship and while yet to accept his suspension, went ahead to contest the election without buying form or being screened.
‘Again, another of the VP candidates just joined the Town Union about 4 years ago but had never attended the NTDU General Assembly Meeting for once, but the Commissioner allowed him to contest for the election.
‘The Nimo Constitution provided for secret ballot which the Town Union Electoral Committee adopted but the Commissioner insisted on Option A4.
‘Also, the Commissioner has no right to conduct an election as he’s only supposed to be an observer but he conducted such in Nimo and this amounted to what we call administrative rascality.
‘In all, we reiterate that the Nimo Town Union Elections were marred by gross irregularities and constitutional breaches and cannot stand,’ Awagu stated.
They therefore called on the governor to not only call his Commissioner to order, but to put machinery in motion for the rescheduling of the elections as and when due.
They said that Nimo which boasted of many prominent justices and legal luminaries, as well as other professionals, could not be treated to such shabby elections and urged the governor to reverse what they called the anomalous elections.
