The Director-General of Atiku/Obi Campaign Organisation in Anambra State, Dr. Harry Oranezi, has warned the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, against acts indicative of rigging in the coming general elections. That is even as the Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, determined to make good use of the remaining days for campaign was busy yesterday crisscrossing the state, convincing voters on the need to vote for Alhaji Abubakar Atiku.
Speaking to newsman in Awka yesterday, Dr. Oranezi observed that the text messages and directives from Obiano to Anambra civil servants reveal he is planning something sinister and against the electoral laws.
“Among many acts of the Governor”, Oranezi said, “including threats of dismissal of Anambra civil servants that do not vote for President Muhammadu Buhari’s APC, he directed that text messages to be sent to civil servants in the state, which reads: ‘Pls submit a return on these details of staff in your school to Admin. Dept. PPSSC Awka zonal office as directed by the Executive Governor of Anambra state, namely, 1. Name, 2. Voting Ward, and 3. Polling Unit. Return to be submitted before close of work 2moro 20/02/19. Pls acknowledge receipt of this info. ZDE’.”
While PPSSC stands for Post-Primary Schools Service Commission, ZDE means Zonal Directors of Education.
Dr. Oranezi who noted the above signal was sent to secondary school principals throughout the state, while a similar signal was sent to other civil servants in the state, challenged Governor Obiano to explain to the public and Anambrarians the purpose of those signals.
Reiterating that any form of electoral fraud is a crime, Dr. Oranezi reminded Gov. Obiano that though he enjoys immunity today, it would be over in a few years. He also admonished staff of INEC to be careful not to be led into crime by desperate politicians in order not to end up like some of their colleagues who are languishing in prison and disgrace today for electoral crimes.
Dr. Oranezi further urged Anambra civil servants not to yield to Obiano’s threats and acts of intimidation; reminding them that they are better off disregarding Obiano than to suffer four more years of deprivation, hardship, lack of vision, and blood-letting under the incompetent APC administration.
Regretting what Anambra State is undergoing today, Oranezi concluded: “We have heard of billions of naira from Anambra State treasury already channelled into the APC campaign. We have also heard of billions of naira spent on APGA abandoned Presidential candidate. Must Anambra State go under because of election and Obiano?”
Obi regretted the near absence of the federal government in towns visited and told the people that like other major cities in Nigeria, they would be taken care of by Atiku’s presidency.
In Nnewi, Obi said: “I can tell you that during the study of the problems of different towns in Nigeria, which Atilku commissioned for over three years, it was discovered that the major problem of Nnewi is power and I can tell you that going by Atiku’s work plan that problem will be solved.”
Obi, who thanked people like Innoson, Cutix Cable and Chikason for remaining steadfast in industrialisation despite harsh policies of the last three years, assured them of a better deal under Atiku. He said that the revival of infrastructure of power would help to resuscitate many Nnewi moribund industries
In Obosi, Obi was hailed as he told traders at Ngbuka that the federal government under Atiku would reduce tax and introduce other measures to encourage them.