By Gabriel Ewepu, ABUJA
A Civil Society Organization, One Love Foundation, OLF, decried massive irregularities experienced during Saturday off-circle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States.
The Founder and President, OLF, Chief Patrick Eholor, expressed pain and lamented the poor state of the electoral process, where result sheets were allegedly written before voting even commenced.
Eholor said: “I strictly followed the election held today and I can say without inclination or prejudice that Nigeria is a completely failed State.
“I wonder what would happen if the likes of me, Chief Dr Patrick Osagie Eholor if don’t speak the truth into power and relocate back to our other country, I wonder what Nigeria will become in the next three years, a situation whereby INEC cannot deliver as promised including the law enforcement officers.
“My heart bleeds tonight when I see a police officer stealing ballot boxes and being angrily mopped. A situation where some citizens who are mentally and spiritually poor still accept money and vote for “polilooters”, a situation where some politicians are notoriously corrupt and still want to stay in or come into political office by every means necessary, a country that there is brain drain, yet the government feels unconcerned, a country whereby the prison wardens does not respect prisoners right, a country that does not allow the women to be leaders.
“I am sure our forefathers who dreamed of an egalitarian society would be rolling in their graves. Oh I cry for my beloved country.”
He added that the electoral process did not meet the expectations of Nigerians at all, “where a local government chairman in Kogi State was arrested with ammunition and Ghana-Must-Go bags loaded with cash to oppress and induce voters.
“Is it by force people get into power to rule Nigerians by killing and intimidation?
Meanwhile, the OLF boss expressed disappointment with the peace accord signed by candidates before the off-season elections INEC conducted on Saturday.
“The so-called peace accord was a mere exercise in futility and waste of resources, there has never been any impact or achievement with this peace accord that some Nigerians promote when there is an election coming up.
“We are all leaving witnesses that the peace accord the candidates of various political parties signed in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States is grossly violated and nobody held responsible for it.
“A peace accord that is not backed up by law, therefore cannot bite, then what is it for if it cannot stop the atrocities politicians commit before, during and after elections?”, he queried.
However he called for the establishment of the National Electoral Offences Commission, NEOC, and urged the National Assembly to pass the Bill into law before the next general elections.
“Therefore, we call for the establishment of the National Electoral Offences Commission, NEOC, to real deal with these criminal elements who have been riding on the citizens with sheer impunity and impetus because there is no prosecution of violence merchants”, he said.
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