Aftermath Of Imo House Of Assembly Polls; Hon. Victor Ngumah Bares His Concerns
Few days after the 2019 Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections in Nigeria, the political atmosphere in Imo State is still stirring. Calculations and permutations are changing at a fast pace. Declared winners and main opposition candidates are on their feet criss-crossing the length and breadth of the State, aligning, re-aligning and oiling their political machines in readiness to seek legal redress.
No doubt, what transpired during the exercise highlighted the challenges of holding free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria. Going forward, there is an urgent need to strengthen key institutions and improve on the use of smart card readers while security agents on election duties must remain neutral and professional before, during and after the ballots are cast. That is the best safeguard for deepening democracy in Nigeria.
Fortuitously, Mr. Victor Ihochi Ngumah; the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in the just concluded Ezinihitte Mbaise State Constituency election in Imo state has congratulated Barr. Anyadike Nwosu of the PDP for emerging victorious.
Stating that though the votes where ab initio in his favour, he had to accept the results in the interest of the perceived “Mbaise Agenda”, which characterised the voting exercise despite the fact that majority of observers have adjudged the 9th March Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections fairly okay.
In his congratulatory message, Mr. Victor who seemed to be riding on the crest of the desire of the people of Ezinihitte Mbaise for a qualitative legislation/oversight functions in a way that promotes service delivery and a better standard of living for the people noted that he would not seek any legal redress, because he believed also in the Mbaise agenda which saw the emergence of Rt. Honourable Emeka Ihedioha as the Governor elect of the State.
While noting that he was the best the candidate, but in the wrong party, he used the opportunity to call on electorates to always vote not by party affiliations but by the content of individual’s character. In addition, he prayed the good people of Imo state to extend the zoning formula, which necessitated in Owerri zone (Ihedioha) emerging victorious to Eznihitte Mbaise Constituency.
According to him, it is only Ezi-Centre in Ezinhitte Mbaise L.G.A that has never represented Ezinihitte Mbaise in the Imo State Assembly. “Ezi-East and Ezi-west have taken their turns in representing the L.G.A in Imo State assembly, except Ezi-Centre where he comes from. Therefore, political stakeholders should make sure this is taken into consideration in 2023 for an even and accelerated representation, he added.
In conclusion, the successful entrepreneur, astute politician and administrator of repute expressed his readiness in offering his wealth of the experience to the Governor-elect as well as the Ezinihitte Mbaise state Constituency elect should they call on him.
“Leaders are elected to help the citizens overcome or mitigate hardship. It is therefore a crying shame that in Imo State, the people have been so let down by their leaders whom they reposed the hope of an end to their hardship, instead the leaders deliberately, arrogantly, and viciously deepened the suffering of the people. Under the current circumstances, it will be important to let the leaders know how they became leaders and not owners of the state”, Mr Ngumah concluded.