APC warns PDP, ENSIEC against rigging Enugu LG election

With less than three weeks to the November 4 local government election in Enugu State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) against rigging.
APC issued the warning at the flag-off campaign of Enugu North Senatorial District at Igboeze North Local Government Area at the weekend.
The flag-off which attracted a mammoth crowd also witnessed notable party bigwigs including the Enugu State governorship candidate in the 2015 elections, Mr. Okey Ezea, former Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odo, the Zonal Chairman for Enugu East senatorial zone, Chief Anike Nwoga and his Enugu West counterpart, Chief Ikechukwu Omenkukwu.
Speaking at the event, the State Chairman of APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye said the party was on ground and has commenced full mobilisation of people to win the election.
“The large crowd of people at the APC campaign flag-off at Igboeze North LGA, the same with Udenu, the Governor’s home council, shows that the people are tired of PDP and their failed promises.
The chairman stated that APC would not accept anything short of election that is devoid of any form of manipulation or rigging by PDP or ENSIEC.
“APC will not accept anything other than a free, fair, credible and transparent election.
“For the first time since 1999 no PDP chairmanship or councillorship candidate would be returned unopposed because APC is fielding candidates for the 17 chairmanship and 260 councillorship seats in the LG election in Enugu State,” he said.
Nwoye said PDP lacks strategy and only resorted to propaganda by telling people not to come out on November 4 to vote as the results were already written in favour of the PDP candidates.
He noted that APC is holding Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to his words that he would not interfere in the election in favour of the PDP candidates.
“I am happy that Governor Ugwuanyi told his PDP candidates to go and campaign. We believe every word from his mouth. If he has written results, he will not be campaigning. I believe he is a democratic man, I believe he will not interfere,” Nwoye said.
Speaking in a similar vein, Ezea maintained that the elections must follow the rules according to the Electoral Act, from distribution of electoral materials at ENSIEC to the polling stations, collations of results to the point where the results would be declared.
“If they do not want to hold the election, let them not hold it. But if they want to hold it, it must comply with the Electoral Act” he said.
Earlier, the APC chairmanship candidate in Igboeze North LGA, Mr. Ogbonna Idoko said he came to right the wrongs of the past under the PDP government when the local government was in blackout and without good roads in spite of the massive allocation coming to Igboeze North as one of the largest local governments in Enugu State.