– Says; Its Ploy To Enthrone Stooges
The Labour Party candidate for the Imo State governorship election scheduled to hold on November, 11, 2023, Senator Athan Achonu, has condemned in its entirety plans by the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma to conduct Local government council election at the twilight of his 4-year tenure.
Achonu who stated this in a release issued by his campaign organization,yesterday wondered why Governor Uzodinma who blatantly refused to conduct local government election despite persistent calls by concerned Imolites because of his interest in collecting and disbursing the huge amounts that accrued to the third tier of government, suddenly woke up from slumber to embark on a fire brigade approach to such a sensitive issue that has to do with the lives of millions of Imo people.
The statement dated July, 26, 2023, signed by the Director General of his Campaign organization, Engr Chime Nzeribe with the caption, “SENATOR ATHAN ACHONU CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION FLAYS UZODIMMA’S LOCAL GOVT ELECTION AGENDA; DESCRIBES TIMING, INTENT AS PLOY TO DECEIVE IMOLITES, SUPRESS FREEDOM OF CHOICE, IMPOSE STOOGES ON LG COUNCILS” reads, “The attention of the Take Back Imo Campaign Organization of Distinguished Senator Athan Achonu has been drawn to media reports purporting that the outgoing Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma plans to conduct local government area election in the state.
:It was reported that the governor made this public in Owerri the state capital during the Inauguration of members of the board of Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC. We leave it to Ndi Imo to ask how truly ‘independent’ that Commission made up of known lackeys of the ruling party in the state is?
“For the avoidance doubt, our principal and governorship candidate of the fastest growing party in Nigeria today the Labour Party, as a true democrat and firm advocate of local government autonomy and total freedom, will never under clear circumstances pick issues with any action, including election geared towards enthroning the independence and unencumbered operations of the third tier system in the state.
“However, we are at a loss why a government that has almost exhausted its constitutionally guaranteed four years in office, has woken up on the eve of its exit, to perform a very crucial task it bluntly ignored when it had all the time in the world to do so.
The choice of this seeming odd hour to conduct local government election underscores the fact that it’s being motivated by second reelection desperation, and not the collective welfare and well-being of Imo electorate, especially the millions of rural dwellers.
The reasons put forward by the Governor for not conducting local government elections after nearly four years in power couldn’t be any less tenable.
“To be fair, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a lockdown and disruptions for the greater part of 2020, but there is absolutely no excuse that can be given or accepted for not conducting local government elections up till July 2023. Except that there was no real and sincere intention to do so. Could it be that the emergence of Senator Athan Nnejilenanim Achonu, the leading candidate in the November 2023 election has sent shivers down the spine of the emperor rooming within the shields of Douglas House?
“The excuse of insecurity is equally not tenable, if one considers the fact that the Governor is the Chief Security Officer of the state whose most important constitutional duty is to provide security and protect lives and properties of the citizens of the state. It is pertinent to state that Gov Uzodimma takes home 4 Billion Naira yearly as security vote, yet he could not secure the state to conduct LG elections. Is this not a clear acceptance that his government has woefully failed in this primary assignment and totally abandoned the most critical tier of government?
“Gov. Uzodinma seems to have come face to face with the stark reality that his administration has completely lost the confidence and trust of the vast majority of Imo citizens owing to its gross misgovernance and as a result has become very unpopular.
In the almost four years it has been in the saddle it have received local government allocation in excess of N200b but as we speak it has not dropped a trip of sand in any of the twenty seven councils of Imo State. As if that is not enough they can’t also account for over N700b state own allocation received over the same period.
“The purported local government election which, will ultimately turn into a “selection”, from every indication must to be one of the planks which it’s banking on to actualize that devious anti people and anti -democracy gambit.
“As a government which is tailor made for election manipulation and mandate stealing, as it did in the February/March elections, the indecent haste to “select” their followers as Local Government Officials, is nothing but a ploy to recruit foot soldiers who will orchestrate the rigging of the Governorship poll.
We hereby call on them to be wary of Gov Uzodimma’s poisoned “selection” hemlock.
“The truth is that Senator Athan Achonu has been the undisputed advocate for true local government autonomy. He has continued to preach for over a decade that independent and autonomous local government administration is sine qua non to true democracy and genuine grassroots development in Imo state. Distinguished Senator Athan Achonu has consistently promised that he will not only grant full and total financial autonomy to the twenty seven councils of the state when elected, but also “conduct the freest and fairest local government election in the history of the state.” He has also vowed not to touch a dime of Local Government allocation.
“We urge Imo voters to continue supporting the Labour Party, the candidacy of Senator Athan Achonu and massively vote him as they did in the 2023 general elections”.
