posted
The news from home is not good at all, I received a call from Biafranigeria this morning from a cousin who happens to be a PDP member. Right now he is in hiding. He informed that Mbaise Overwelmly voted for APGA that AGPA should have gotten 85% vote in Mbaise if the votes were counted. Because PDP hijacked the election, the Mbaise youths got angry and burned down INEC office at Afor Enyiogugu.
The interim chairman of Ahiazu Mbaise LGA shot and killed an ANPP candidate for the chairmanship of Ahiazu LGA. for that reason the youths from the village of the shot victim, went to burn down the of the interim chairman's house and Obasanjo soldiers prevented them, so they proceeded to burn down the council hall of Ahiazu LGA. Now because of PDP hijacking the APGA mandate, Most PDP candidates are now in hiding. Even the PDP candidte for Ahiazu LGA who was poised to win, is now keeping low profile.
So gentlemen do you guys think that this sis a sign of what to come. My cousin also told that Nzeribe was shot, but I have not confirmed that yet, the other stories I have comfirmed,
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It is obvious that, as I have said in another thread, we should all be fearless and defend our rights, freedom and democracy. From the reports we have got so far, it is clear that all the election results in the East should be rejected and the elections re-organized. It should be the same in some other parts of Nigeria, eventually the whole federation. We must not accept rigged elections.
I have always advocated for bearing arms in Nigeria, because the government of Obasanjo do not protect the people and their properties. It is a matter of applying for licence, but if the police intentionally fail to grant the licence, then people could do without the licence. But we must communicate effectively to overcome our problems. Some crimes happen and go unpunished because they are done secretly. But with time, we will be improving on how to use those arms properly.
I propose that we wait for media reports on this issue before commenting further on it. The first person to get more information on the above issue should inform us through this thread.
___________________ 1) Everything you can imagine is real->Picasso
2) They taught you the praises of their God, and these hosannas, when tuned into your sorrows, gave you the hope of a better world to come-->Patrice Lumumba Posts: 379 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Even the Newswatch reports corroborates your info from home:
quote: Achike Udenwa, governor of Imo State , was full of smiles when Ignatius Umunna, secretary to the government, gave him news of his re-election last week. Umunna had sat with officials of the INEC in Owerri, the state capital, throughout Sunday, April 20, as he waited for the results compiled from various local governments in the state.
Garba Bawa, the resident electoral commissioner, announced that Udenwa, the PDP candidate, scored a total of 695,445 votes to win the governorship race. His closest rival, Ezekiel Izuogu of APGA polled 142,923 votes. He was followed closely by Humphrey Anumudu, the ANPP candidate who came third with 101,192 votes. Hope Uzodimna, AD scored 33,578, Emeka Nwajiuba, NDP, secured 55,395 while Alex Mbakwe of PSP scored 1,532.
Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, co-ordinator of the Obasanjo/Atiku Campaign Organisation in the South-East, described PDP’s success in the state and the South-East in general as a result of hardwork and solid party structure in the state. Iwuanyanwu, who addressed the press after the election explained also that the Igbo knew that any party that has tribal character would not win at the centre, hence their choice of PDP that was national in outlook and character.
But many indigenes of the state were not happy with the election results. Many who spoke to Newswatch in Owerri said the results did not represent the wishes and aspirations of the people. John Njoku, a retired civil servant, told Newswatch that he did not vote for Udenwa whom he described as one of the worst governors in the country today. He said a cross-section of the people he spoke with in his ward, in Enyiogugu, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of the state did not vote for the governor. But he was not surprised about Udenwa’s victory either because of widespread manipulation of the electoral process.
Njoku accused the state government of colluding with INEC officials to manipulate the polls. “There were warnings from government agents to the rural men and women, in various places to be careful, and that soldiers and police will arrest, detain, and even kill whoever misbehaved. At the election booths, people saw gun-welding touts staring at them very angrily and many stayed away. At the collation centres, non-PDP officials were harassed and even prevented from monitoring what went on. Many boxes also changed hands and so, the PDP and officials of the state government had total control and inflated figures as much as they wished,” he said.
The majority of people, who felt angry at the malpractices also exhibited their anger in many other parts of the state. In Ahiazu Mbaise area, aggrieved youths burnt the local government secretariat in Afor-Oru to vent their anger over the alleged electoral manipulations and for shooting of an APGA official in the area, allegedly by an official of the LCA, said to be working for the PDP.
In the neighbouring Abo-Mbaise LGA, angry youths also burnt the INEC office at Ekenguru. In Nkwogwu Nguru too, youths angry over irregularities at the polls caught a vehicle loaded with ballot papers, seized the papers and destroyed them, turned the vehicle upside down and vandalised it.
None of the other parties that contested the governorship and presidential elections in Imo State has accepted the results. Newswatch leant that Izuogu and Anumudu were planning to challenge the result at the election tribunal.
___________________ Awo's political idea was based on the assumption that any town beyond Owo was Igbo or Hausa. Awo was not socialised; he was not a good mixer because he did not have the opportunity, which the secondary school offered. ~TOS Benson, Baba Oba of Lagos Posts: 2644 | From: United Kingdom | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
My own village is under siege by the Nigerian Army. Locals allege that they were given photocopied ballot papers to vote on. Their ballot papers, they insist, were later discarded and the originals thumbprinted by PDP agents. They resented this and attacked PDP big wigs and their property. Some are still in hospital. In retaliation, the news is that there are nigerian soldiers every inch of the town.
Posts: 621 | Registered: Mar 2001
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OU Thanks some much for that news watch confirmation of the news. When I received the call from my cousin yesterday, I wanted to wait to see if I could other news media to confirm it before sharing it with the forum.
CSE What your village experience is widespread, is not just your village alone, every village in Igbo land probably experience those photocopied ballot papars. This is why Mbaise is under siege right now.
My cousin even said Obasanjo gave Udenwa Military protection during his victory declaration news conference. Iwuanyanwu should be dealt with. There is unconfiremed report also that Nzeribe may have been shot by angry citizens. This thing is not over yet.
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Udenwa will destroy himself. Nzeribe had to be smuggled to Owerri and crowned "victorious candidate" of Orlu Senatorial zone.
Who will forget that Mbakwe rode publicly on his horse in 1979 and in 1983 "ordinary citizens" carried him shoulder high before a large crowd of imonites. It was the last day I drank alcohol!
Obasanjo is toying with fire and he will bear the consequence of his stupidity. There was a report that five people were killed as some unidentified gun men went after Iyabo his daughter.
___________________ Awo's political idea was based on the assumption that any town beyond Owo was Igbo or Hausa. Awo was not socialised; he was not a good mixer because he did not have the opportunity, which the secondary school offered. ~TOS Benson, Baba Oba of Lagos Posts: 2644 | From: United Kingdom | Registered: Apr 2001
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quote: I propose that we wait for media reports on this issue before commenting further on it.
Sylva,
Welcome to BNW. Please what is this preoccupation with basing comments upon media reports? (media reports from what ironclad sources?) Was any new rule passed about modalities for making contributions in this forum about which we are now unaware?
The last I checked this was and continues to be a dynamic not static environment where contributions are shared and exchanged both subjective and objective, based on a wide range of criteria determined by the contributors predisposition including research based factual presentations, news reports, articles, rhetorical commentary, philosophical observation verbal attacks, emotional outbursts, inspired and effusive oratory, one line snyde remarks etc.
News such as just shared by Biafra can evoke many differing feelings in different people. There is no telling or forcing the direction those feelings or the tone of the thread may travel, thus it remains a forumites prerogative how to navigate between B.S and whatever posting of value they truly wish to derive from or input into each thread.
Granting you the benefit of the doubt, Perhaps there may exist a gap between what you actually intend and what you end up articulating, however to avoid the potential landmines when people can't quite read your mind, is'nt it better that you sift for yourself how your contributions will endeavor to keep to a threads course than to issue such artificially limiting proposals as above?
To buttress my point, consider the following comment by you:
quote:The first person to get more information on the above issue should inform us through this thread.
Does'nt this appear like sanctimoniously stating the obvious? Did Biafra seek permision from you before opening the thread? Am just curious and hope my suggestions herein are not taken wrongly.
All,
My personal feeling is that until we do in all Igboland what Mbaise is now blazing the trail to do, then the peace loving gesture by us to tolerantly participate (if only to salvage our internal humanity and self dignity) within the confines of a system that has repeatedly dealt us the most maliciously dehumanizing blows would have again been abused and disregarded in the most irrevocable manner through the evil whims and caprices of such self seeking personalities as we refer to as "our Igbo governors".
No doubt Mbaise and other areas who have started to act will be flooded by Federal troops who will now shoot even when unprovoked if only just to make a point, I am not one for the violent approach, but am aware that even when peaceful marches have been attempted in Igboland, these characters and their external sponsors have been quick to smash them with the utmost wickedness unknown even during military rule such as unleashed against MASSOB by Udenwa. So what do we now do?
If we are to be massacred when we bear no arms, then let us deserve to be killed bearing arms.
This was the predicament Ojukwu faced in 1966 when Igbos were left unprotected in the so-called "Nigeria" Now the same scenario is repeating but being hatched upon us by our own baby 419 sycophants drunk with greed and power, lacking vision.
If they have been responsible for killing a single Igbo soul to retain power, I say may they never know safety again in Igboland even in the deepest depths of their assumed safest abodes, and with their predicament as an example, may no Igbo ever feel safe again to carry out the errands of any murderous external Bastard in Igboland. No matter how lucrative!!!
This is the next warfront from which we cannot make an inch of progress without fighting bitterly and decisively.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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Mind you, am not calling for guns. The continued provocation for that will be determined by those who think themselves immune today. Our response at our disposal will be rendered at a time, place and method of our own choosing, as Bush would say. And on our own terms.
No. what Am calling for is for Clansfolk, Village folk, Townsfolk etc. to deal with these vermin right where they stand for the abominations they persist in committing.
Let us now do the right thing!!!
Let the Federal troops then intervene.
___________________ YA CAIN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN :) Posts: 1182 | From: TEXAS | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
Brother Ukaobasi I share your concern, my mbaise people are peace loving people just like any other Igbo land towm. But there comes time when the most peaceful man on earth is pushed to his limit. I think what is going on in mbaise no different from the fustration been felt by people of Anambra state, Abia state and other Igbo States, who wasted their saturday casting votes only to witness that vote hijacked by thugs. People are been pushed beyond their tolerant level, that is why they are reacting this way.
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UKAOBASI, Thanks for welcoming me to BNW. In the last statement you quoted from my previous post, maybe I should have used "might inform us" instead of "should inform us". But you can be assured that I had no intention whatsoever of telling the forumites what or not to say or when to say them. Apart from that, I do not still understand what you have against a proposition, not an obligation, especially when the sentence started with "I propose----".
All, My former post was intended to avoid propaganda and manipulation, and some of those indulged in manipulation are specialists. Some people though not even Nigerians, talkless of Easterners could use Igbo or other nation's names while particpating in our discussions, in order to divert our attention from constructive endertakings. We should know that and be vigilant. White people, especially from Europe generate and imitate people's voices. In the case of Nigeria, they do not need much efforts, because they make people feel that the distorsion in the voices come from the bad phone lines.
You can get a phone call from anybody to give you wrong information or your phone call can be received by somebody to whom it is not destined. I do not mean that things are not going badly at home, but some people make use of the situation to manipulate others.
The East is one of the reigons in Nigeria that has the most educated sons and daughters, and there is no village in the zone which has not got educated people. If really, some people had been given photocopied papers to vote with, maybe someone might have thought to keep some as proof for rigged elections. In any case Obasanjo and his group did not need those things because the results had been prepared and compiled in advance. Votes have never counted in nigeria, but it is time they do.
Among what we need now is the following: 1) maintenance or rebuilding our self-confidence 2) to be fearless but without boasting of it 3) to have a method of approach 4) communicate effectively with those in diaspora and also with those at home 5) etc
This means that, it is not enough to talk of the problems at home, we should as well suggest solutions. For example 1) do we have journalists at home? 2) do people know how to get in contact with them easily
3) can journalist cover peaceful protests in big and even smaller towns, including filming anybody that attacks protesters? 4) Can peaceful protests be organized, who or which organization can take care of them, etc?
5) educating our people at home on how to keep good record of events and eventually elements of proof. 6) educating them on how to observe well what is happening around them to know who did what and when, including taking peoples' pictures.
7) to observe well foreigners at home, watch well their movements to know what they do, who they see, when, etc. Some foreigners participate in some of the problems we have at home. It is for security reasons. Foreigners do the same in their countries and those who have nothing to hide need not be afraid. 8) etc
___________________ 1) Everything you can imagine is real->Picasso
2) They taught you the praises of their God, and these hosannas, when tuned into your sorrows, gave you the hope of a better world to come-->Patrice Lumumba Posts: 379 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Quote: -------------------------------------------------- "Some people though not even Nigerians, talkless of Easterners could use Igbo or other nation's names while particpating in our discussions, in order to divert our attention from constructive endertakings."---Sylva. --------------------------------------------------
Sylva: I had been inclined to think the way Ukaobasi did on reading your "I propose..." input, but after reading your last post, especially the quote therefrom above, I now understand where you were coming from. After reading some contributions from some who claim to be Nigerians/Biafrans/Igbo or even Africans on this and other boards, I, like you has also become suspicious of some handles on this board. So if you ask a contributor to CLEARLY state the source of his/her information, then you are not completely wrong. For instance, I have my personal sources (journalists) who feed me with news from home and every time I use those information as the base of my argurment, for clarity sake, I always add the prase "My private/personal sources..." Haven said the above, I can tell you without any iota of doubt that Bro biafra is born Mbaise/Igbo man. So, he doesn't apply to that cliche.
Nevertheless, we have to be careful and vigilant. Lest those who have NOTHING to lose lead us and our people back home into doing things that will bring us great pain and sufferage in the long-term.
Biafra: Your people are 100% right. Imo INEC finally admits there was FRAUD in Imo s-election. Especially from the area the riots took place: http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/news/article14Posts: 997 | From: Germany | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:Biafra: Your people are 100% right. Imo INEC finally admits there was FRAUD in Imo s-election. Especially from the area the riots took place: http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/news/article14
I guess Sylva is happy now. The Almighty Guardian has confirmed the story for him. Our people are in trouble.
Posts: 155 | Registered: Mar 2001
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Isn;t it obvious now that BNW you always broke certain news from Biafrnigeria first before the so called Nigeria press. This idea of waiting until Nigeria news media confirm a story before you believe it have deceived us many times. Who could forget when Uwazuruike house was burned down in Okigwe, I remember that time Clement Ikpatt and some yoruba members of this forum saying "if uwazuruike's house was burned down by soldier from Obinze, how come no major news media reported it. Eventually it was proved that Uwazuruike house was burned down in Okigwe, and his father was mahandled by Nigeria forces.
Most of Nigeria news media houses are biased when it comes to certain news.
I did not get a chance to see the INEC story that Nwa Aro was talking about. But, as you can see, the Guardian link that Nwa Aro posted yesterday is as useless to this discussion today as it was before he posted it. Do you still believe that "it is better, when possible, to provide the link instead of copying the article?"Posts: 145 | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Dateline: 04/05/2003 17:55:56 Imo Polls: The Triumph of A People By Ethelbert Okere
-------------------------------------------------- So much has been written about the recently held presidential and governorship elections that it is beginning to look like repeating what others had said in every new article. The presentations have come in different styles: satiric, sarcastic, out rightly combative and what have you. But there is a common denominator: Except members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), every other Nigerian believes and insists that the elections were fraught with fraud. I am presently undertaking an exercise to know the membership strength of the PDP, nationwide, to be able to figure out what fraction of the nation's population they constitute. But if we go by the figures from the election results as published by the electoral authorities, then there can be no doubt that those who believe that the elections were free and fair actually constitute a negligible number.
Personally, I must confess that I have not been able to make out anything out of the situation. In fact, I am too confounded but I was prompted to write this piece after an encounter with an aide of the Governor of my state, Chief Achike Udenwa. This follow, whom I have known long before he got acquainted with the state government, fished me out from a crowd at a gathering ostensibly to extend greetings. But, of course, I knew where he was coming from and he did not hesitate to deliver his self-sent mission.
According to him, I have made a big mistake by going with the group that opposed the Governors re-elections. In what certainly was intended to be a mockery, he said that all the newspaper articles I had written, "attacking" the Governor have now proved to be wasted efforts. But he was not done with me yet. He went further to say that unlike others, he believes that I will not "survive" it by the time the Governor "descends" on us! As I said earlier, I really did not feel like commenting on the conduct and outcome of the elections since the issues and points have been well canvassed and made by many others. But even the decision to now make a contribution is not predicated on the disdain with which some of those close to the Governor now hold some us, as revealed by the encounter above. And I say, "poor Governor Udenwa, there his people go again".
I will go hypothetical for a brief moment to establish the negative impact this type of thinking among his aides would have on his image, that is assuming that he succeeds in getting sworn in for a second term. If we go by the posturing of the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), then Chief Udenwa has been re-elected for a second term. In other words, he is right now making preparations for his inauguration. But I would advise that such preparations should include making sure that he does not go into another outing with the type of encumbrance he suffered in the hands of some his aides. Throughout his first term, the general impression among the people of Imo state was that Chief Udenwa is a good man who merely allowed himself to be misadvised by bad aides.
As I have said in previous articles, I personally believe that Governor Udenwa is a good man and this is why I have volunteered this piece of information to the effect that some of his close associates are already going about hinting on a possible clampdown by him on his opponents. He does not need to do that. But before I continue, I think I should also use this opportunity to disabuse the rnind of the fellow who spoke to me as mentioned earlier, or indeed the minds of all those who probably think like him. It is foolish to think that anybody who had a counter opinion about Chief Udenwa's re-election can be loosing sleeps now. Personally, I don't and cannot. Speaking hypothetically still, I would assert that I have personally nothing to worry about if the Governor succeeds in getting sworn in for another tern in office. As is well know, my means of livelihood, publithing and writing, have nothing to do with government. The fellow who spoke about my "survival", therefore, misses the point completely. And, of course, contrary to what he says, those of us who, through newspaper articles maintained that the Governor was not carrying the people along, have been vindicated by both the conduct and outcome of the gubernatorial elections. If he is sworn in, he will remain my governor. But I now leave the realm of hypothesis to talk on the practical reality on ground.
Forget all the posturing; I am sure that Chief Udenwa is sobered by the fact that majority of the people of Imo made good their vow not to return him to office, going by the way they voted on April 19, 2003. Deep inside him, he knows that if the elections in Imo were allowed any modicum of fairness, he wouldn't have come anywhere near winning. Chief Udenwa knows that the result that was announced by the electoral authorities was not the wish of the majority of the people of Imo state. We need not repeat all the evidences that have been put forward by various interest groups such as the international and local observer groups on the elections in Imo.
But I have one evidence that, in spite of all the others, is enough to make me never to believe or accept that Chief Udenwa won the elections. It happened right in front of my family compound in my home town: For several days after the elections, a ten-seater bus carrying the inscription; "Redemption 98" along with the Governor's posters and campaign slogans was lying by its sides after tumbling while its driver, who was among some agents of the Governor and some presiding officers, were trying to escape with ballot papers meant for some polling booths in my home town. In the process, the van, belonging to the Governor, hit a relation of mine, a little girl, who was subsequently hospitalized at my family's expenses.
It took me pleading for some hours to be able to dissuade the incensed youth from torching the vehicle. I told them that, as I always say, I know Chief Udenwa as a good man. But does anybody, in all honesty, "pect me to go before my people to say that Udenwa won that election after his agents had perpetrated such fraud and violence right before their own eyes?
INEC officials can go ahead and dismiss the reports of the observer groups but as far as I am (or we are) concerned, nobody to can controvert the evidence I (or we) have. In some states, some of the combatants have said that they have decided to leave the matter to God. Imo people and their leaders certainly believe in God but they need not submit their collective destiny to mere fatalistic self- admonitions. In fact, they have everything to hold their shoulders high.
They wanted a change in the political leadership of the state and they went for just that through the way they voted at the governorship elections. They didn't disappoint the expectations of the rest of the country, which knew that they (Imo 3 people) were poised for a change. Chief Udenwa may be sworn in for a second term on May 29, 2003 but it would be obvious that like some of his counterparts, he will be occupying the Government House, Owerri without the mandate of the people. It is doubtful if the Governor could summon the courage to take the risk of submitting himself for another round of elections but I suggest it nonetheless. I have a feeling that Imo people may, out of sheer compassion, vote for him this time around. They may do so in the belief that they have earlier proved a point by initially voting against him at the April 19, 2003 elections.
Personally, once fresh gubernatorial elections are called for in Imo state, I will abandon whatever I am doing to return home to canvass for the Governor. I will tell my people to forget the incident narrated above and let's vote for Onwa Imo. I will do everything I can to convince some of his opponents that I know personally to even step down for him and mobilize support for him. At the end, a triumphant Udenwa will then mount the thrown for another from years.
I can see someone brand this article as being sarcastic. But it not so. I have a genuine interest in seeing that Chief Udenwa remains in Government House, Owerri with a legitimate mandate because as I have always said, he is a good man. My fear for him is that if he remains there with this mandate of Edo people rather than that of Imo people, he may end up just being in office but not seen by the people as their political leader. For, as things stand, there can be no doubt that Imo people will still go all out to fill the leadership (political) vacuum in the state, as they sought to do at the elections. Although they have to officially wait for another four years, they will in practical terms try to rally round some of those personalities whom they may have identified during the electioneering campaigns. In other words, they may be less enthusiastic to look the way of a government house occupied by Chief Udenwa.
But I wouldn't want Chief Udenwa to be just an occupier of government office. I would want him to be both the holder of the highest political office in the state as well as the political leader of the state. As far as I am concerned, the recent events have divorced these two positions. For a fellow of his disposition, which I admire so much, it will be tragic to occupy the exalted office of Governor for eight years without emerging as the political leader of the state. By the year 2007, Chief Udenwa will still be less than sixty years of age. This is the age when life begins for great leaders. Since it is most likely that Nigerians may finally go for a one term of five years constitutional provision for governors and the president, Udenwa and those of his counterparts in the other states who have been 're-elected' may be the last category of people to govern for eight years.
In the last four years, many people believed that Chief Udenwa squandered the good will with which he began in 1999. So, the crucial question now is, where will another good will come from? From a people who believe that one Edo man and another Hausa fellow are imposing somebody on them as governor? In other words, a combination of squandered good will and outright indifference from the people will be nothing but a disaster. I do not wish this for Chief Udenwa whom, I repeat again, is a good man.
So, let him subject himself for a fresh election. If I were Chief Udenwa, I wouldn't bother to go to the tribunals because from what is on ground, the evidences against him may be so overv~helming that even if he manages to muddle through, he may not have the face to stand before the citizens of Imo with the needed authority.
He should return to the drawing board and take a look at some of the issues raised by those whom his overzealous aides branded as enemies. In an article long before the elections, I had queried why the governor allowed his people to organize the "UDENWA RESPONDS" show. I had said the crowd was hired but his boys nearly tore me apart. Now, I have vindicated. If Imo people earnestly asked Udenwa to go or a second term, why did they reject him at the pools? If they had earnestly wanted him, did his agents have to snatch ballot papers and in bid to run away came crashing right in front of my father's house. You see how I caught them?
Dr. Okere lives in Abuja --------------------------------------------------
In his commentary above, Dr. Okere whose comments on Imo politics is like an oracle did capture the feeling of not only an average Imonite but that of an honest Igbo on the street of Igboland. What he said of Udenwa can also go for Obasanjo and co: yOu can buy yourself vote but you cannot buy yourself a NAME or INTERGRITY.
Posts: 997 | From: Germany | Registered: Mar 2001
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