Polycarp Sola -Abakaliki
Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has expressed confidence that his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), will emerge victorious at the ongoing local government and council elections in the state.
He made the expression in his home town after casting his vote at his polling unit at Oferekpe Primary School, Agbaja Enyanwigwe Ward 02 in Izzi Local Government Area of the state.
The governor commended the electorates who came out to vote for their chosen candidates despite the rainfall and noted the election process as being peaceful, free, and fair, given a level playground for all political parties to participate in the exercise.
“I’m very delighted and very excited that despite the rain, people decided to come out and vote; it gladens my heart and encourages me. I just cast my vote now, and I believe that in no distant time, everyone that registered in this polling unit will be here to cast their vote.
“As a party man and leader of the party, I believe that my party will definitely win; this is a free and fair election, which means that nobody is quarreling; all the political parties are here; I have seen eleven political parties participating; and we hope that the atmosphere will take us to where we will declare the winner.” Nwifuru said.
However, he maintained that the local government election has become necessary for society because the government needs to be close to the people, saying that the people deserve the right to elect their leaders into elective positions in order to hold them accountable.
“If the people elect you, it gives you that sense of responsibility to deliver to them all the promises you made during the campaign, but if a governor just appoints a local government chairman ,he or she would not be responsible to the people because they are not holding people’s mandates.” He explained.
Speaking on the issue of local government autonomy, governor Nwifuru, who expressed his agreement with the Apex Court judgment on that regard, noted his reservations: “I agree with the Supreme Court on so many areas, and I have reservations in other areas.
“We are still studying the judgment, after which, at the end of the day, all of us will come together and analyze it, but for me, I believe in a democratically elected system, because that is what the constitution says: the local government must be a democratically elected system.” He maintained, while resisting the rumors of voter Aparthy, that due to the weather as well as the farming season, people voted and proceeded to their daily activities.