Anambra Poll: PDP financier, Arthur Eze, accuses Governor Obi of rigging

A financier of Nigeria’s ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Arthur Eze, on Thursday accused the Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, of rigging Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the state.

Mr. Eze said the outgoing governor rigged the election in favour of Willy Obiano, the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, in the state. The APGA is also Mr. Obi’s party.

Although the Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the election inconclusive with a pledge to conduct supplementary elections in scores of polling units, Mr. Obiano leads his other two major opponents by over 70,000 votes in the results announced by INEC.

The other two major candidates, Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress, and Tony Nwoye of the PDP, as well as the Labour Party’s Ifeanyi Ubah, have called for the cancellation of the election citing irregularities in its conduct.  While the APC has also called for the cancellation of the election, the PDP, Messrs Eze and Nwoye’s party, has accepted defeat saying the election was properly conducted.

Mr. Eze also accused Mr. Obi of poor infrastructural development in Anambra, saying residents would resist the governor’s plans to continue to rule the state.

The billionaire stated this at the State House, Abuja, while answering questions from journalists.

Mr. Eze, who is a major supporter of Mr. Nwoye, blamed the outgoing Anambra governor for the current crises facing the conduct of the election.

“It’s for the poor that we are fighting, it is not for me, but for the needy and the orphan. Not for me, I am an old man. I am going. It’s because of the poor that I am crying,” he said.

“There is too much poverty in the country, and I have dedicated myself to helping the poor for the past 10 (years) or more. That is why I brought out Tony Nwoye from the North, the poorest zone in the state to become the Governor,” he said.

Mr. Eze said, “Obi committed a crime and rigged election against the poor people and brought his man, Obiano. For 8 years, there were no longer local government elections in Anambra, now he brought Obiano, his treasurer to take over from him. Now, Obiano will spend 8 years and bring somebody; then we are in trouble.”

The businessman, an indigene of Anambra, said the National Chairman of INEC, Attahiru Jega, should not be blamed for the controversy that surrounded the election.

“Jega is very emotional. He is a very straightforward human being. He said this election was an act of sabotage. He was frank and God will advise him on what to do,” he said.

He, therefore, urged the people of Anambra to pray for the salvation of the state to avoid the spate of social crises which the state witnessed in the last eight years.

“Go and pray. What is going to happen in Anambra will happen in so many places. Pray for yourselves, not for us, we are gone, we are aged,” he said.

Responding to questions on what the current electoral challenge indicates for 2015, Mr. Eze said, “I don’t want criminals to take over in 2015; that is why I am crying.”