By Uzoh Ugwueze, Enugu
The director-general of the Voice of Nigeria and frontline chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has declared that the victorious candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Willie Obiano, bought his victory on Saturday.
According to him, Obiano outspent other candidates in the use of money to influence voters and security agencies.
Okechukwu, in a statement made available to Orient Daily on Sunday, said “Governor Willie Obiano benefited handsomely from President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to free, fair and transparent election.
“This is a case of democracy convert who behaved better than old democrats. Otherwise, he couldn’t have allowed Obiano to manipulate INEC and security agencies against his party’s candidate.”
Okechukwu, who observed the election, however, added that “reports reaching us say that the election was free and fair?
“Yes, free and fair, but one does not know how Obiano will cope with governance, as per finance, when he overbid other candidates? In our local parlance he used all the firewood. It was more or less a cash-and-carry election.
“Can you imagine that the chairman of our great party, Barrister Emeka Ibe, was arrested by the security agency on the eve of the election, because of some flimsy reasons?
“In the days of yore, a federal ruling party chairman will be parading the town with soldiers and policemen. A lot of our canvassers and sundry officials were harassed and hounded. It was the theatre of the absurd.
“The Obiano camp was smart enough that it was almost the same set of University of Calabar lecturers who delivered him in 2013 that returned as Collation Officers, and Returning Officer. What a sharp coincidence of posting? He just benefited from Mr. President’s commitment.”
