The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward congress which began yesterday in Anambra State was marred by widespread violence, thuggery, rigging and snatching of ballot boxes and election materials in most of the 21 local government areas of the state where the exercise took place.
Sporadic guns shots were heard in some areas during the exercise, which kicked off the process leading to the picking of the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the February 6, 2010 election in the state.
THISDAY findings showed that the election took place in only about 10 per cent of the 326 electoral wards.
The local government areas where the exercise held skeletally included Njikoka, Aguata, Dunukofia, Awka North and Awka South.
And even then, the congress held only in some of the wards in those local government areas as there was no local government in the state where the congress took place in all the wards without serious hitches.
In the remaining16 local government areas, there was no voting as thugs belonging to rival groups shot sporadically, scaring away delegates and voters.
The worst local government areas affected by the violence were Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Ihiala, Nnewi South, Nnewi North, Oyi, Ayamelum, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ogbaru, Orumba North, Idemili North and Idemili South.
At Awka, a PDP official from Benue State was critically wounded and had to be rushed to a hospital in the town where he was admitted.
Several others were injured by people suspected to be thugs.
Some of the warlords and gladiators of the party were said to have resorted to altering results in some of the collation centres while fake results were written.
In Uga, the hometown of a controversial kingmaker, tear gas canisters were fired by the police to scare away voters.
As late as 3pm, voting did not start in most of the wards where it held due to non-availability of voting materials and personnel to conduct the election.
At Ihiala ward 5 in Ogboro-Ihiala, for instance, there wasn’t voting as at 2.35pm.
The Co-ordinator of Soludo Campaign Organization in the ward, Mr. Afam Onunkwo, said he was beaten up by those suspected to be thugs for daring to organize those who would vote for his candidate.
He displayed his clothes torn to shreds to newsmen and wounds inflicted on him by the thugs.
He also said the opponents’ anger was that he queried why the venue of the election should be changed to an area outside the electoral ward.
The story was not different in wards in Nnewi North and South as well as Aguata and Orumba North and South Local Government areas.
Director-General of Nicholas Ukachukwu Campaign Organization, Dr. Michael Ike, told THISDAY that in many wards in Nnewi South area, those he said were not on ground and looking for a consensus candidate were creating confusion.
THISDAY found in areas visited that there was enthusiasm by people to vote and choose their delegates but violence and confusion reigned.
In the few wards where the exercise was orderly, delegates of the former CBN Governor were said to have emerged in large numbers and were being trailed by that of Senator Annie Okonkwo.
About 708 delegates are expected to emerge at the end of the congress while a total of 47 aspirants are in the race for the party’s gubernatorial ticket.
Former chairman of the party in the state, Mr. Pandola Okwuosa, was ordered arrested by officials of PDP State Congress Committee over alleged malpractices in the ward congress.
Two others arrested with him were Walter Amegbu and Cosmas Nwoye described as congress campaigners.
Minister of Transport, Isa Ibrahim, who is also a member of the committee, told newsmen in Awka last night that he personally ordered their arrest at Umunya while monitoring the election.
He did not say who the PDP members were working for but disclosed that the suspects had been handed over to the police.
Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswan, who is also the congress chairman, said results of five council areas for the ward congress had been received while 15 others were being awaited.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu has adjourned further hearing in the application filed by PDP gubernatorial candidate in the 2007 election in Anambra State, Chief Andy Uba, seeking to be sworn in as governor of the state at the expiration of Governor Peter Obi’s tenure on October 13.
The adjournment followed the receipt of an application from the Chief Nwafor Orizu (SAN), counsel to the first respondent in the case and PDP governorship aspirant in the state, Ukachukwu, that he had already filed for adjournment of the case pending the ruling of the Supreme Court in his application seeking an order that election be conducted in the state before March next year.
Ruling on the application, which was only opposed by Uba’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Justice J. S. Ngwuta noted that the court would wait to get the apex court decision on the matter before finally taking a position, as it would amount to setting a wrong precedence if divergent views are expressed on the matter.
