PATRIOTISM!!!:An Open Letter To Attahiru Jega(INEC Chairman)By Chukwuemerie Uduchukwu.

Dear Prof. Attahiru Jega,
When you were appointed to head the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) by the Federal Government,
Nigerians were filled with hope that at last
sanity would return to the nation’s electoral
system. This was due to the high level of
integrity you exhibited during your days as
the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union
of Universities, ASUU and Vice-Chancellor
of Bayero University, Kano.
Nigerians also believed more in your ability
to deliver when they learnt that you are a
professor of political science. This is
because as an immensely experienced
political scientist, you will ensure that a
high level of sanity is restored in the
nation’s electoral process.
Sir, you actually restored some high level of
trust in the election process during the
2011 general elections which caused the
ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, (PDP) to
lose all the governorship and most of
legislative positions in the south-west
geopolitical zone. The transparent manner
in which the 2011 presidential elections
results were collated and announced was
highly commendable and encouraging. Also
the decision of the commission to employ
Vice-Chancellors of federal universities as
chief returning officers of various states
during the elections was encouraging. This
is because the acceptance of Vice-
Chancellors to act as Chief Returning
Officers in various states made it difficult
for selfish politicians to manipulate the
electoral process.

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Sir, due to the high level of trust I have in
your person and the strong faith I have in
the commission, I want to bring to your
attention the actions of some political
parties in Anambra State which if not
stopped, will cause more confusion in the
state and paint the image of the
commission, which you serve as the chief
electoral officer, black.
Sir, it is worrisome that some political
parties are fielding multiple candidates for
the November 16, 2013 governorship
election in the state.
Sir, it was reported that INEC has
recognized the Ejike Oguegbo’s-led
executive faction of the PDP in the state.
The faction conducted its primaries and
announced Senator Dr. Andy Uba as its
candidate. Surprisingly, same day another
faction led by Ken Emeakayi, reportedly
recognized by the national leadership of
the party, conducted a parallel primary and
announced Mr. Tony Nwoye as its
candidate.
After that, Senator Andy Uba went to a
Federal High Court in Port Harcourt and
was declared the authentic candidate of the
party. It was also reported that Mr. Tony
Nwoye went to another court and was
declared the authentic candidate of the PDP
by that court.
Dramatically, on Tuesday 17th September
2013, a federal high court sitting in Port
Harcourt, declared another contestant on
the platform of the PDP Prince Nicholas
Ukachukwu as the authentic candidate of
the party.
With these developments, three persons
namely Senator Andy Uba, Mr. Tony Nwoye
and Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu now claim
to be the authentic candidates of the PDP
thereby increasing tension and confusion
in the state.
Sir, this ugly development is not limited to
the PDP. The All Progressives Grand
Alliance, APGA, also has multiple candidates
produced by various factions of the party in
the state. One the factions of the party
supported by the incumbent state governor
Mr. Peter Obi conducted its primaries in
August and announced Mr. Willie
Maduacbuchi Obiano as its candidate.
Surprisingly, another faction led by Mazi
Okwu conducted another primary and
announced Mr. Obidigbo as its candidate.
Sir, this increased the rate of political
confusion in the state and the electorates
were left confused due to this multiple
candidacies by the parties.
Sir, I want you to use your good offices as
chief electoral officer of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria to stop this confusion. I
advise the commission to ban any political
party fielding multiple candidates from
contesting the election. Also, due to the fact
that the law empowers each political party
to field one candidate, the commission
should, through the law enforcement
agencies, arrest and prosecute any person
who is not recognized by the commission
as the candidate of a political party, which
parades himself or herself as a candidate.
These will discourage multiple candidacies
by various political parties.
Thank you for your understanding and
urgent attention, sir.

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