Nigerians in the Diaspora react on Anambra Election Tribunal ruling
ACHO ORABUCHI
Dallas, Texas
Thursday, August 25, 2005
While
the Anambra Election Petition
Tribunal in Anambra drew the
veil of political darkness on Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige on August 12, 2005 in
form of nullification of his purported 2003 Anambra gubernatorial victory,
Mr. Peter Obi was at the receiving end with a glaring fillip on his face.
With the Tribunal’s verdict, Ngige had two options, to vacate his position as a
governor unceremoniously or appeal the tribunal’s ruling to Court of Appeal in
Enugu thereby buying more time in office. He has chosen the later.
Since it took the Anambra State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Awka screeching long two years and two months to rule that Mr. Peter Obi of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was the actual winner of the 2003 Anambra governorship election and not Governor Chris Ngige of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), one wonders how long the appeal and subsequent ECOWAS Court would take?
Reactions
trailing the Tribunal’s ruling that declared Mr. Obi the winner of the April 19,
2003 Gubernatorial election in Anambra State and not Dr. Ngige, continued
to reverberate thousands of miles away from the shores of the verdict. In the
Diaspora, many Nigerians continue express their views. The excerpts.
It is pertinent to note that Pan Ndi-Igbo Foundation USA, Inc. (PNF USA) has consistently maintained and unequivocally supported the rule of law. The Foundation has called on the Tribunal on numerous occasions to rule on the Anambra election petition. It has also maintained that if Ngige was to be removed, it should be based on the facts before the Tribunal and not through a clandestine manner.
Dr. Obinna Duruji, Esq., former Commissioner for Education, Imo State and a legal practitioner in Washington, D.C. opined, “Despite the crisscross of events and the attendant political intrigues, orchestrations and manipulations, the election tribunal ruling on 2003 Anambra gubernatorial election was a victory for democracy, rule of law and posterity. Even though justice delayed is justice denied, it is better late than never.”
Otoiheoma Egbe began, “The ruling, though belated, is a welcome move in the right direction. This will set a precedent to human beings in general, but to Ndi-Igbo in particular, that those who trade in dishonesty must be made to pay for their dishonest actions, no matter whom they wanted to please or victimize by their dishonesty.”
“Dr. Ngige needs to respect the Tribunal ruling, without any appeal; this will save him what is left of his Integrity. He has already shown that he cannot be trusted by entering into an agreement with Chief Uba to defraud Ndi-Anambra and, by extension, Ndiigbo. He should pay the price this dishonesty warrants, and this will serve as a lesson to those who may be nursing such a dishonest ambition in the future. Ndi-Igbo have been abused and insulted enough with the collaboration of dishonest Ndiigbo. This will teach them some lessons,” he concluded.
Dr. Uche Ugwoaba echoed and added, “I do not know the final ruling but I think, from the little I have read in your articles, the decision is to install Obi. My opinion is that this ruling should be carried out after due process, for several reasons: a) It is high time Nigerians got trained in accepting the deliberations of an arbitrator - right or wrong. b) If, after thorough deliberations, the tribunal wants to correct past mistakes, then so be it. Correct it as soon as possible to set good precedent. Ngige should be accorded the due process allowed by law.”
“Most importantly,” he continued, “Ngige should be celebrated for the good work he has done. He may have been a well-intentioned politician that got elevated by the warp in the system. This warp, the tribunal has come to correct. For the sake of posterity, the originators of this crisis should never go unpunished. We, the people, including Ngige, have won. Look at all that we won: We were put through a crisis that tested our young democracy. We now know how not to do it; we have good roads, hospitals, paid civil servants, etc. We now know these things are possible in our land. Nobody can tell us otherwise. We have shown our patience for due process and are ready to accept it. Our future is brighter,” Dr. Ugwoaba advised.
Incensed about the 2003 electoral fraud, Chukwu Ekwena said, “The electoral fraud of the 2003 gubernatorial election in Anambra State was well-documented. It played out right before OBJ, where both Ngige and his fraud facilitator Chris Uba confessed the massive election rigging. But Ngige is not alone in the fraud; the entire 11 governors of the [Southeastern] Nigeria and OBJ himself were all beneficiaries of the election rigging.
“Ndiigbo should not be surprised by the Tribunal's ruling because there is nothing new in it. The PDP- controlled government waited until it has proper control of the actual winner of the election to declare him the winner, two years after the fact. In the US, all the 36 governors of the federation and OBJ could have been in jail by now for fraud and corruption, but hey we are talking about Nigeria. I think Ngige should help soften the blow on Ndiigbo by stepping aside and not appeal this ruling. Why? Because Ndiigbo really appreciate what he was able to achieve while the fraud lasted. I have heard many schools of thought supporting Ngige's appeal; what they fail to understand is that the ruling for Peter Obi is a continuation of Nigerian government crude psychological war on the Igbo. An attempt by Ngige to appeal this ruling will only play into Islamists-controlled Nigerian government hands. And we will be back to the days of Chinwoke Mbadinuju in Anambra State,” he warned.
Writing from China, Stan Odera argued, “I read from so many people that Ngige should continue in power because he is paying salaries, patching up roads, and paying pensioners; I agree that he is doing after all what is supposed to be the dividend of democracy. But that does not make him different from the synagogue of thieves that raped the democracy in Alaigbo. Not only should Ngige step out for Peter Obi so that democracy should reign supreme, he should apologize to Ndi Anambra for his role in the thievery with his godfather Chief Chris Uba.”
Prof. Ezejiofo Udeh held, “Dr. Ngige is not only a beneficiary but a key participant in a fraud perpetrated on Ndi-Anambra. Dr. Ngige is well aware of the fact that he did not win, which translates that the means that brought him to the governorship of Anambra State is tainted. Truly, Dr. Ngige worked for the people in his effort to convince some that the end should and ought to justify the means. He succeeded to convincing some. But the stark reality is that the truth has prevailed in the decision of the Tribunal, which is not a surprise. Ndiigbo, it is only the truth that shall set you free.”
“Having stated above, my advice to Dr. Ngige is to bow out honorably. Dr. Ngige knows better to bow out when the ovation is high. He should not squander the political capital built by serving the people. He should NOT yield to the advice to head to ECOWAS court. He should get into discussion with Mz Obi and APGA with a view to his new role. This will make Dr. Ngige a true Onye-Igbo once again,” Udeh continued.
“Keeping Ngige in office is allowing the end to justify the means. This is un-Igbo, no matter how we cut it,” he concluded.
Sir Ike Ginigeme harangued, “I am troubled with what is happing in Anambra State. It is hard to comprehend [that] out of 36 states in Nigeria Anambra gubernatorial election is the only one being nullified. What happened to state and national elections? You cannot get the head without the tail. Whom are we fooling? I am eager to hear from Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Ekwueme, and Jerry Ugokwe on this issue.”
No doubt, the case adjudged by the Tribunal was expected to attract mixed reactions because of intense competing interests. Overall, Igbo unity and our common purpose should supersede personal interests. However, no matter which side you are on the issue, the prudent thing to do is to exercise caution and allow due process—judicial progression-- though very slow, to run its course. In a situation like this, I have always advised that maintenance of calm and indulgence of reflection become paramount in order not to exacerbate the already volatile atmosphere.
In any case, the soothing ambiance in this case is, at least, the undimmed hope in our judicial system if this one would not turn out to be an isolated case.
See also: HANK ESO: Anambra saga: This kabuki isn’t over until it’s over