With one more day to the March 9 Gubernatorial Election in Imo State, the Federal government and the various Security Agencies have read the riot act to elections riggers, ballot box snatchers, arsonists, thugs, kidnapping syndicates and vote buyers.
More cheering for Ndi Imo is the statement credited to Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff who has promised hard times for persons who would want to subvert the country’s electoral system through their actions and inactions even as he has fingered Imo State as one of the flashpoints of electoral rascalities.
He is on point. This fingering of Imo State amongst states of High Electoral Risk Area like Rivers, Bayelsa and Ogun because of their antecedents has made it imperative for the Imolites to be very alert to guide their votes against the desperate politicians who are known to have penchant for rigging, votes buying, ballot box snatching, kidnapping of electoral officials and other electoral malpractices.
It is therefore a welcome development that the Security Agencies and the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari have heard the cry of Ndi Imo to ” Come Over to Macedonia and Help Us” from the greedy politicians who are determined to even spill the blood of innocent people in order to achieve their selfish interests.
Unfortunately, Imo State has in recent years become this notorious because of lack of Equity which Imo State Elders Advisory Council are now trying to revive with endorsement of former Governor, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim of Accord Party whose Okigwe Zone has been marginalised by Gov. Rochas Okorocha’s Orlu Zone.
Yet Okorocha is imposing his son- inlaw Uche Nwosu of AA party also from Orlu Zone to succeed him at the expense of candidates from Okigwe and Owerri Zones.
This is the crux of the matter and the cause of the election tensions in Imo State. Ndi Imo are peaceful and on Imo Charter of Equity We the People Stand.
Harry Awurumibe, is a public affairs commentator.
