Councilorship Election: Many Injured at Mgboko polling Booth as Eze Okwulehie’s Thugs Disrupt Election *Community Berates Frank Ibeh for imposing Candidate *Councilorship Election postponed indefinitely

The entire community of Mgboko, in Isiama Afaraukwu autonomous community,  Umuahia North LGA was in outright disarray today, Tuesday as one of the Councilorship candidate, allegedly imposed on the community by Sir Frank Ibeh and Eze Okwulehie imported thugs to cast their votes in his favour.

The election the two party members which was earlier scheduled for 10:am was suddenly extended to 3pm, at the Polling Unit, in Mgboko Town hall, in Isiama Afaraukwu

Our Correspondent who was at the monitored the exercise was informed by some members of the community that the Urban Ward 1 Councilorship was zoned to Ndagbo who eventually gave their mandate to Mr. Nnabugwu Chionye a member of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

Eze OkwulehieHowever, it was alleged that
Sir Frank Ibeh had in connivance with Eze Okwulehie imposed one Mr. Enyinnaya Andrew Ngwuli of Umuobasi community to oppose the people’s mandate, Chionye, an act that breached the consensus, hence Urban Ward 1 Councilorship was unanimously zoned to Ndagbo community.

Famous Reporters observed that the Ward Chairman, Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, (ABSIEC) Mr. Ndubuisi Kanu and his alongside Mr. Enyinnaya Andrew Ngwuli, one of the contestants, stormed the election ground with two hilux vans jam-packed with some thugs who were not members of the community.

The atmosphere suddenly became catastrophic as the electorate evidently observed that the thugs immediately became violent as indigenes of the community insisted that no non indigene, whatsoever would be allowed to participate in the exercise.

This, of course, did not go down well with the thugs who immediately became violent resulting in an intra-party war, which regrettably left some electorate brutally injured, as one of the supporters of Nnabugwu Chionye, (name not disclosed)  was rushed to the hospital for immediate treatment.

Fielding questions from Journalists, Mr. Chionye who expressed dissatisfaction accused Eze Okwulehie of being the brain behind the awful show, saying “he is the one that sent those thugs that obstructed the election.

“It’s quite unfortunate that this kind of thing really happened in our boot. The Ward Chairman, Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, (ABSIEC) Mr. Ndubuisi Kanu and my opponent, Mr. Enyinnaya Andrew Ngwuli stormed the election ground with two hilux vans jam-packed with some people who were not from the community

“They are not even close to Afara and I don’t know where they came from.
They just started making trouble. One Ndubuisi Ohabuiro and Enyinnaya Ngwuli ran away with the ABSIEC delegations back to Umuahia North LGA”, he lamented.

Chionye further told Famous Reporters that the ABSIEC Ward chairman, Mr. Ndubuisi “has hijacked the materials for the election and left for an unknown destination with the electoral committee who had come to conduct the election.”

Chionye who reiterated his faith in emerging winner of the election in spite of all odds, implored the party to intervene in the matter, noting that, “I believe that I will emerge the winner.

He, therefore, appealed to his supporters to be calm and resolute, while expressing optimism in his envisioned resounding victory, despite the obvious indefinite postponment of the election.

Meanwhile, a reliable source who spoke to Famous Reporters anonymously at the election ground revealed that the people of Ndagbo had the mandate to produce the Councilor, hence it was their turn to produce both the Transition Committee (TC) and elected councilor in line with the zoning system.

Hear him: “the present T.C Counselor was supposed to have come from Ndagbo but the people of Umuobasi pleaded with them to allow them produce one, since they (Ndagbo) have the mandate to produce the elected according to the zoning. Sir Frank Ibeh was there when this meeting was held and it was agreed that the elected councilor would come from Ndagbo. They also agreed that it was non negotiable.

“But now, instead of allowing the people of Ndagbo whose turn it is, they have conspired and brought out a candidate.

Another source, who gave his name as Mr. Peter Amaniro, one of the observers who also spoke to Famous Reporters, decried the illegal display by Mr. Enyinnaya, as he urged party members to embrace peace and ensure a free and fair playing ground.

“In our community, if you are not an indigene, you’re not supposed to vote, only the indigenes are supposed to vote. This is Afaraukwu Mgboko. But, some people have hired thugs to come and vote. This is not good. I don’t find it appealing.

“My appeal is for the party members to calm the situation so we can conduct this election. This is the turn of Ndagbo but they want to manipulate it”, he added.

Earlier in his speech, the Ward chairman pointed out that the election adopted Option ‘A’ form, as he urged the electorate to be of good conducts while advising the contestants to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship at the end of the election, noting that “both contestants are PDP.Meanwhile, neither Sir. Frank Ibeh or Eze Okwulehie could be reached  at the time of filing this report, as all efforts were futile.