- …How could INEC chairman go ahead to announce results and declare a winner after concerns raised by party agents?
- …I didn’t foresee that level of fraud even though I wasn’t expecting a perfect election.
The news of the victory of President elect Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has continued to be a topic of discussion by ndi-Anambra since the announcement of the result by the chairman of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) Prof Mahmood Yakubu in the early hours of Wednesday March 1st 2023.
ANN who spoke in an interview with some concerned persons got different reactions on the outcome of the recently concluded general election held on Saturday.
A business man in Awka, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyi while reacting on the outcome of the polls said the just concluded election is a paradox, pointing at the lessons and the many upset and surprises.
” Two Labour Party Candidates in Anambra Sen. Victor Umeh and Dr. Tony Nwoye defeated two incumbent Senators. Despite the fact that Peter Obi lost, other candidates from LP win because of him. A candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Chimaobi Sam Atu who before the election was a community vigilante member and bus driver won. His victory gives hope to the common man.
Mrs. Rose Iwu, a civil servant said it was a black Wednesday. The streets where quite. Nigerians are mourning because the people’s mandate was stolen. The congratulatory messages from countries like Uk, France, United States of America amongst others doesn’t mean that it’s all over.
“Eligible voters came out for the exercise in there large numbers thinking that there votes will count but unfortunately this is not the case as videos have been flying all over social media as evidence that the election was rigged. Iwu lamented
“I have been wondering why INEC did not upload the original results of the presidential election conducted into the commission’s server as they promised before the election, whereas the results of the national assembly election were uploaded. It is only through credible election devoid of electoral fraud that good leaders could emerge’ Mrs Iwu submitted
Editor-in-chief of Fides Newspaper and SWAN member Anambra chapter, Mr. Jude Atupulazi in an interview with ANN said the results were manipulated.
“My take tallies with those of a vast majority of Nigerians who are very sure that INEC bungled the presidential election by colluding with APC.
“INEC has shown nothing but bias. How could Yakubu go ahead to announce results and declare a winner after concerns raised by party agents? Why did he rush to declare the winner after he’d promised to first look into issues raised by agents? Before then why resort to manual accreditation despite promising not to?
“We all saw vote manipulation, thuggery and intimidation, as well as ballot box snatching even by policemen. We saw policemen watch as voters were harassed and beaten. This last election was a shame to the country and cannot stand. Happily most election observers, including the EU, have condemned it too. We now shift focus on the courts to see if they can salvage Nigeria”. Atupulazi maintained
A Lecturer of the department of Mass Communication and member NUJ Anambra state chapter Dr. Henry Chigozie Duru said there where irregularities during the election.
“The election in my view was manipulated. Honestly I didn’t foresee that level of fraud even though I wasn’t expecting a perfect election. However I believe what we’re experiencing is the product of our failure over the years to work to evolve a culture of free and fair elections. We can’t reap where we did not sow. I will simply advise the parties feeling aggrieved to approach the courts. That’s the best way to go now”.
ANN reporter who listened to discussions and anaylises from newspaper readers at the popular vendors stand in Aroma junction observed that it was a mix reactions from the masses. While some are angry over the outcome, others are of the opinion that those who feel other-wise should bring more facts.
“Candidates from LP who people didn’t know before the election won popular candidates from PDP and APC. Another unknown Labour party candidate defeated the APC and PDP in the major Senatorial Election in Edo.
” We will all suffer if there’s war and most of the children of this politicians are not in this country. let us put on our thinking caps. Another reader submitted.
