Akwa Ibom News Online Commentary

Imo State Indigenes in the Diaspora Strongly Want All Votes To Count in Imo State Imo indigenes in the Diaspora want every vote to count in Imo State and we commend Prof. Attahiru Jega and INEC for their wise decision to conduct a supplementary election in Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area thereby enfranchising the Imo electorate. INEC strongly resisted the intimidation from APGA and Rochas. INEC exhibited high level of professionalism. We sincerely praise and admire the boldness of PDP and Ohakim for insisting that every voter in Imo State must be given the opportunity to exercise his/her voting right. We strongly commend PDP and Ohakim for protecting the voting rights of the people of Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area. Therefore, we are humbly asking you, the voters in Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area to go to your respective polling booths on May 6, 2011 and massively vote for PDP and Governor Ikedi Ohakim, who have been on your side.

According to Voice of America of April 29, 2011, Rochas Okorocha said, “I am the winner of this election… The commission should declare the results [incomplete results] it has. But my opponent is of the view that there should be a re-run from the two local governments where elections did not take place.” Imo indigenes want a governor that will not win at all cost. We don’t want a person that wants to win by denying others the right to vote. We want a person that wants every voter to have an opportunity to cast his/her vote. Do you want a governor who believes all Imo citizens should not have equal rights? Do want a governor who picks and chooses only some areas he believes that their votes should count? Do we want a governor who practices divide and conquer? We, your sons and daughters in the Diaspora, believe that all Imo citizens are equal and should have the same right to elect their governor? That is why we ask Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area to vote for Ohakim.This is why Governor Ohakim is a better candidate. Ohakim wants to give every Imo voter a chance to vote no matter the outcome. If he wins, he wants to be the governor of all and not some parts of Imo. That is leadership. Rochas wants to divide Imo by demanding to exclude the votes from certain areas of Imo State ; that is an act of desperation.

Gov. Ikedi Ohakim and PDP called and demanded for free and fair elections in Imo State ; PDP and Ohakim want ALL votes from Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area to count. But APGA does not want your vote to count; APGA demanded from the INEC to disallow votes from Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area so that INEC could hurriedly declare its candidate (Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha) the winner of Imo State governorship election. APGA and Rochas are desperate to win at all cost. We do not want Imo State voters to be disenfranchised. We strongly support for all votes to count; to give every community/voter the opportunity to participate in the electoral process. We want all the votes in Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area to count. PDP and Ohakim do not want to claim victory until all votes from Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area are counted. As a result, when the people of Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area go to the polls on May 6, they should remember who has been with them and who has been against them. PDP and Ohakim have been with the people of Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area. APGA and Rochas are allegedly against the people of Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area by demanding from INEC to declare them (Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha) winner without the votes from Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area. Imo State can not afford to scuttle democracy because of APGA’s rush/hurry to grab Imo State governorship.

We unequivocally trust and believe that Gov. Ohakim will continue to perform beyond expectations to enable him build a lasting legacy in Imo State .As a result, we firmly encourage the Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Areavoters to vote for PDP so that Imo State, Nigeria’s heartland would stay connected to the national network of political economy of Nigeria . We strongly advise and encourage the people of Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Ngor Okpalla, and Mbaitoli, including Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Areanot make a mistake of voting for APGA and its candidate.

Signed:

Acho Orabuchi, Ph.D., National Chairman The Ohakim 2011 Consolidation Mandate Group in the Diaspora
George Njoku, Ph.D.
National Mobilization Dir., The Ohakim 2011 Consolidation Mandate Group in the Diaspora

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