By Chinedu Adonu
The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, in Enugu State, Dr John Paul Ani, has commended the peaceful conduct of the ongoing local government election in his area, while alleging irregularities and denial of access to party officials in some other council areas.
Ani, who spoke with journalists after casting his ballot in Ward 2, Unit 001, Town Hall, Nkanu West Local Government Area, said the exercise was peaceful, transparent and credible in his polling area.
He commended the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission, ENSIEC, for conducting what he described as a largely hitch-free exercise.
“My assessment of the process is that the process was peaceful, transparent and credible, the way I voted. I want to commend the commission, ENSIEC, for conducting such a hitch-free exercise,” Ani said.
However, he said the party had received reports from its chairmen and other officials in some local government areas alleging conduct by some ENSIEC officials that, according to him, was inconsistent with democratic principles.
He specifically mentioned Nri, Oji River and Ezeagu Local Government Areas, alleging that some NDC chairmen and party officials were denied access to local government council headquarters where election materials were being distributed.
“By law, every political party must be at the headquarters where materials will be distributed to various wards and polling units.
“But in these local governments that I have mentioned, the reports we are getting from there was that our people were not allowed access,” he said.
Ani called on ENSIEC to investigate the allegations and take appropriate action if the claims were established.
“We are calling on ENSIEC to do more to investigate this situation and then bring the perpetrators of this act to book,” he said.
He urged the commission to demonstrate its independence and impartiality in the conduct of the election.
“ENSIEC, as a commission, should prove itself, once again, as the people’s commission and not an arm of the ruling APC,” Ani said.
On the expected outcome of the election, the NDC chairman expressed confidence that his party would perform strongly, citing its campaign and the quality of candidates it fielded.
“For us in NDC, we are confident that we will win this election at the end of the day because we have done a campaign. We have fielded credible candidates; we fielded people that understand what the masses want,” he said.
Ani said the NDC had deployed agents to polling units where it fielded candidates and that the party was monitoring the collation process at ward and local government levels.
He, however, said the party would await the official declaration of results by ENSIEC.
“We have voted, we have monitored the exercise, and we have moved to coalition centres, ward coalition centres.
“So, after this exercise, we will go to the local government where the result will be officially announced by the commission. And then when we get to the bridge, we will cross it,” he said.
Ani acknowledged that ENSIEC was leading in some areas, adding that no party could expect to win every constituency.
“As it is right now, ENSIEC is leading in some areas. Of course, we can’t win all. But we know where we have fielded candidates that we are confident that we will win at the end of the day,” he said.
He further alleged that election materials had not reached some polling areas as of the time of his briefing, particularly in Oji River, Aninri and Ezeagu.
“From the reports we got, there are some places that materials did not even reach, even at this point, especially in Oji River, Aninri and Ezeagu.
“But in Nkanu West, where I am and where I voted, materials got into every polling unit in the local government,” Ani said.
Vanguard News
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