Iwu is a drowning man

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has described as unfounded the report credited to INEC chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu, to the effect that he and Chief Victor Umeh, the APGA national chairman, are sponsoring his removal from office. The Governor, through Chuks Iloegbunam, his special adviser on Communication, described as totally untrue another aspect of the report which claimed that Iwu had approached him with a suggestion on how to resolve the crises in APGA. (Iwu top right and Obi top left)

Iloegbunam admitted that both Governor Obi and Chief Umeh, like other champions of Nigeria’s democracy, have been consistent in calling for Iwu’s resignation or removal on the grounds that the man conducted what are possibly the worst elections in human history.

The Special Adviser maintained that the mess created by INEC under Iwu’s watch during the 2007 general elections is so monumental that only beneficiaries of his failed polls would oppose his been given the boot.

“The gubernatorial “elections” of Idris Ibrahim (Kogi State), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa), and Magatakarda Wammako (Sokoto) were reversed by the courts, forcing re-runs in those states.”, said Iloegbunam who added that the courts, also, pronounced Adams Oshiomole and Olusegun Mimiko the Governors of Edo and Ekiti states respectively while booting out Osunbor and Agagu whom Iwu’s INEC had brazenly wangled into power.

“In the case of Anambra state , Iwu conducted a gubernatorial election while Governor Peter Obi was yet to conclude his four-year time, thereby letting in a certain Andy Ubah through the back door. In Rivers state, Iwu’s INEC smuggled in the name of Celestine Omehia as the PDP gubernatorial candidate for Rivers State . Fortunately the courts reversed both decisions, for which reason Obi remains the Governor of Anambra State and Rotimi Amaechi was sworn-in as the rightful Governor of Rivers State. Iwu’s “polls” become even more outrageous when the hundreds of cases filed against elections into the various legislative houses across Nigeria come into scrutiny. Even the presidential election was a subject of litigation for upwards of two years”, Iloegbunam continued.

Iloegbunam, authlor of Ironside, wondered why a man responsible for these undemocratic acts should cling on to a post that should belong only to those who go the equity with clean hands.

“Iwu is a drowning man desperately clutching at disreputable straws to escape the proper censure for his disservice to the Nigerian nation. If the man permitted himself some sober reflection on the colossal sums of money and the incredible dislocation caused the judicial system as a result of judges taking up temporary assignments in electoral tribunals, he should be afflicted by pangs of remorse. Instead, he is sitting tight and making false claims on settling the so-called crises in APGA. Which crises?” said he.

Iloegbunam added that in 2007 elections, INEC admitted list of candidates submitted by the National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, when the Governor was on impeachment. He said the moment the court declared the impeachment illegal and the name of the Governor was submitted as APGA candidate Iwu turned round and said that INEC recognized Chief Chekwas Okorie based on a non-existent court order.