Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), a leading human rights organization in Nigeria, has thrown its weight behind Governor Peter Obi of Anambra state in the run up to the 2010 governorship election in the state.The national leadership of the group, led by Mrs. Halima Ibrahim, national treasurer, recently, visited Governor Obi to give him solidarity, and to explore ways of co-operation with his government. CLO, also, used the visit to tour the numerous projects of Peter Obi government, so as to be in a better position to dispassionately assess the level of his responsiveness to the needs of the common class people of the state.
CLO, among other things, sent a strong warning to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to toy with the people’s mandate in the forthcoming guber polls in the state, as it did in the 2003 poll.
Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike, acting executive director, during a courtesy call, described Obi as a great achiever, who has silently been carrying out innumerable people-oriented projects in the state without blowing them out of proportion like most politicians of his class. Ezike pointed out that many of the projects CLO visited portray Obi as a governor who is actually interested in improving the living conditions and general well-being of the people of the state. The executive director maintained that Obi’s achievement profile has vindicated CLO over its support to him throughout the period of his struggle to recover his stolen mandate in the state.
Also in her speech, Mrs. Ibrahim enjoined Governor Obi to continue to respect the rights of the people of the state, as well as provide dividends of democracy to them. Mrs. Ibrahim expressed satisfaction with Governor Obi’s achievements, saying: “CLO will continue to support you for as long as you do the right thing”.
In his own speech, Alloysius Attah, chairman of Anambra state chapter of the organization said, under Obi’s administration, all sectors and communities in the state are receiving attention at the same time without any media hype.
Attah said Obi has not only changed the face of Anambra state but has brought along with him a good human rights record which the CLO stands for.
He maintained that Obi’s government is a clear departure from the past when human rights abuses were rampant in the state, and called on Anambrarians to give him a chance to carry out his program. Attah scored the Obi administration an ‘A’ grade for embarking on the numerous people-oriented programs within the past three years of administering the state.
Attah expressed reservations over INEC’s preparations and readiness to conduct a credible election, given its poor performances in the past which led to massive electoral fraud, adding that CLO would perfect plans to compel the commission to do the right thing this time around. He urged the people of the state to ensure that their votes are counted.
He said the state branch of the group has, alongside other human rights groups, perfected plans to write INEC officially to explain their level of preparedness to ensure free and fair elections. This move, according to him, is occasioned by ominous signs on ground now to the effect that INEC is insincere in their approach to the election.
The CLO delegation comprised of chairmen and secretaries of state chapters from the southeast zone. Others were chairman of South South zone, Karl Uchendu, his southeast counterpart, Uba Aham, the acting zonal director, Barrister Olu Omotayo, and Dr. Gambo Danjuma, a member of the CLO board of governors.
