Enugu North bye-election: Ohaa, others abandoned NDC candidate, Ossai – Party chieftain Eze

A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Chief Sylvester Ugochinyere Eze, has taken swipes at Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa and other leaders of the party for abandoning the NDC candidate in last Saturday’s bye-election in Enugu North senatorial district.

In a statement made available to journalists in Nsukka on Wednesday, Chief Eze said although what happened on June 20 didn’t qualify to be described as an election, the NDC candidate, Bishop Oscar Okwudili Ossai, could have lost in a free and fair poll because he received little support from his party’s presumed governorship candidate Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa and others.

“There was no time for campaigns,” he said, “but even for the three or four days to the election, Ohaa was not seen anywhere in Nsukka zone. Not even at the mega rally of June 18 that Peter Obi was expected.”

He added that Ossai needed endorsements from notable NDC gladiators.

“His opponent in the bye-election had the backing of Government House which had access to unlimited funds. But important personalities in his party were all over him at campaign rallies. The NDC candidate didn’t enjoy similar support.

“Even on the election eve, a critical period, Ohaa was said to have held a meeting in his house in Enugu, and he invited all NDC aspirants to the meeting. His intention, then, was to frustrate his party’s candidate in the bye-election, since these key personalities who were supposed to rally round him were all drawn to Enugu, thus abandoning the scene of action in Nsukka zone. Perhaps Ohaa is working for his friend in APC.

“If Ohaa were seeking his party’s victory in the Enugu North bye-election, he could have helped to abort some rigging antics of the APC. We got information that ballot papers were being thumb-printed in several places and result sheets had been diverted on Friday night.

“An intervention from a key candidate like Ohaa could have reversed the crime. But nobody saw him anywhere. If he becomes our governorship candidate, will he not campaign in the Nsukka area?” He queried.

On the conduct of the bye-election, Eze alleged it was a charade.

“INEC ad-hoc officials were almost all APC members. The police, forest guards, civil defence and others were all working for APC.

“It wasn’t strange, therefore, that all of them collaborated to manufacture 163,000 votes in favour of the APC candidate. It was manual voting everywhere — I didn’t even see BVAS in my own area. So, without BVAS accreditation why won’t they post fictitious results?” He asked.

Asked about his ward Eze said he’s from Ejuona/Uwani ward in Nsukka LGA and that many of his people did not even know there was an election that day. “Only a few people actually voted, but later we heard that our 17 polling units gathered more than 5,000 votes. Miracles do happen!”