Anambra 2010: Police uncover plot to rig Anambra election
• Intercept container-load of electoral materials
From GEOGREY ANYANWU, Awka
Saturday, January 16, 2010
•Photo: Sun News Publishing

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Barely 21 days to Anambra State governorship election, the police have uncovered a plot to rig the poll, having intercepted containers bearing electoral materials, which were heading to an undisclosed destination.
According to a police source, the containers, being escorted by two persons, who claimed to be soldiers, were intercepted at Okija, along Onitsha-Owerri expressway. It was gathered that the containers’ escorts had told policemen at checkpoints that they were taking goods in the containers to Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Luck, however, ran out on them when one of the vehicles had a collision with a commuter bus. In the process of finding out the cause of the accident, the police discovered that electoral materials and not goods were in the containers.
On further check, the police found out that the materials included ballot papers, ballot boxes and election result sheets. The second lorry ran away.

Saturday Sun gathered that one of the escorts was an university student and not a soldier, as he earlier claimed. The lorry is now in police custody, while the suspect is said to be helping police investigations.
When newsmen visited the state headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Josiah Uwazuruonye, was said to be out of the office, but the Administrative Secretary, Mr. Tony E. Agbache, said he was not aware of the incident. He, however, refused to take further questions from newsmen.
He said: “I am not aware of that. I can’t speak to you; I am a civil servant; it’s the REC that is in the position to speak to you.”

Also at the police headquarters, Awka, the commissioner, Mr. Philemon Leha, was said to have gone out for the Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony. A senior officer, who did not want his name in print, however, confirmed the incident. He said that the Divisional Police Officer in Okija had been directed to transfer both the lorry and the suspects to the headquarters.
He revealed that the matter may have also been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) for proper investigation.

Meanwhile, camps of the various candidates have condemned the plot to rig the election. They called on the police to properly investigate the matter and expose those behind it.
The national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh said: “We are not surprised that such a thing will happen because some people have shown so much desperation to take the governorship of Anambra State at all costs. On the 3rd January this year, adherents of the traditional religion converged on Okwuani Shrine, at Nnewi and performed rituals to the gods to punish anybody who attempts to rig the election in Anambra State.

“Last Friday, on 8th of January, traditional rulers of Anambra State converged on Alex Ekwueme Square, where Eze Nri, Eze Obidiegwu Onyesor, performed the traditional ofo ritual against rigging, whereby the traditional rulers called on the gods to expose and punish anybody who will attempt to rig the election.
“Today, 15th of January, the Christian Association of Nigeria organised an inter-denominational service, where they prayed for a free and fair election.

They also called on God to punish anybody who will want to rig this election.
“It is therefore, not surprising that God is already answering the prayers of Anambra people by exposing this illegal movement of electoral materials, which, by every indication, is intended to be used to rig the forthcoming election.”
The chairman of Soludo Campaign Organisation, Chief Okey Muo-Aroh, said: “INEC should make a categorical statement on who owns the materials and where they were going. I think it is a very alarming situation. It also portends a very dangerous development that container-load of election materials will be floating about in Anambra 21 days to the governorship election.

“If security documents can be treated this shabbily, one wonders the credibility of what we are about to do and the outcome of the exercise. We urge the commission to make a public statement on the incident and also reassure us that the process would be free and fair”.

The Director General of Uche Ekwunife Campaign Organisation, Mr. C. J. Chinwuba, said: “We commend the security operatives on their vigilance and we condemn such acts aimed at rigging this election.
“We in PPA have laboured extensively; we have visited the 177 communities and the 326 electoral wards in Anambra State and some set of mischievous people are busy trying to rig this election.


SOURCE: http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2010/jan/16/newsbreak-01-16-2010-001.htm

I think we should go back to option A4 in this country. before we all get choked .