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Ojukwu rejects results, proclaims self winner
From Victor Onyeka Ben, Enugu

THE presidential candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the last Saturday presidential polls, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has declared himself the winner of the polls.

Ojukwu while rejecting the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said that the chairman of the commission, Dr. Abel Guobadia should be sacked.

He also called for fresh National Assembly and presidential elections, describing last weekend's exercise as a monumental fraud and a big dent on the image of Nigeria.

Addressing a press conference, the Ikemba Nnewi, declared: "The charade that was called the elections has no relation with a free and fair electoral process which they purported it to be."

Ojukwu said that given the manner in which the result was compiled and announced by INEC, it was hatched earlier on how to perpetrate fraud and rig out political parties except the PDP in the contest.

"For me it was democracy on trial. We had thought that the elections if conducted freely and fairly, would have helped in furthering the ideals which we so much cherish."

He added that President Olusegun Obasanjo had had a grand plan of cheating right from the time the last set of political parties was registered to put the PDP at a big advantage and make things difficult for others.

"For this election itself, the whole conduct of the exercise was flawed. As far as Nigerians were concerned, there was no voters' register. How do you conduct an election without the voters' register.

"Some people were just issued pieces of paper in Nigeria in the year 2003, the voters register was never displayed publicly as specified by law", said Ojukwu.

He added: "As citizens, we were not privileged to verify the voters' register even though the law stipulates very clearly that 60 days would be given before the election takes place".

"Rather before the elections newspapers published that 7 million voters were disqualified. The natural question is, who were those disqualified?, where are they from? Most of the 7 million voters disqualified came from the South East zone," said Ojukwu.

"We do not know why that was the case. I saw a 72-year-old man who was disqualified because it was said that he was underage. As for me, I voted purely out of my democratic zeal and not because the right thing was done", added the APGA chieftain.

He further said: "I have been threatened with so many things including arrest, for daring to stand up against wrongs, I have been threatened with sedition too. Many people have been killed for a national democratic election, an election which when it came, we found candidates that were not duly registered being presented."

The Ikemba Nnewi also said that "election materials, as a ploy, were delivered very late to the polling centres, some materials were not even delivered at all even in Nnewi where they know I come from".

Ojukwu confirmed to reporters that he had to buy candles at half past six in the evening for illumination to enable him vote at the polling centre in Nnewi, Anambra State.

The politician wondered why INEC declared results of elections which its officials conducted after 3 p.m. when the law specifically made it clear that elections conducted after that period of the day were invalid and therefore illegal.

"Throughout the voting exercise, there was intimidation by combat ready policemen. Beyond that, the army was there for the PDP's use when the laws of the land say that before you bring out the army, you have to ask the permission of the National Assembly which could only permit the use of the army."

He said that the use of soldiers during the elections invalidated the exercise adding: "No body bordered to cross check the signatures of electoral officers after elections",

He said further: "The conduct of the election was sheer banditry, brazen robbery, shameless effrontery by the authorities in Nigeria. I say this as an introduction that we of the APGA have our records and willing to take on anybody in our rejection of the two previous elections held.

"We would not subscribe to or accept any action resulting from the result so declared. We demand as of right, as democrats, that the exercise is repeated and the people's will allowed to hold.

"I Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu of APGA, won that election. If there is any justice left in this country, we should be rejoicing as I match to Aso Rock", Ojukwu declared.

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