Uzukwu Describes Electoral Malpractice As Worse Than Insurgency, Coups

Charles Onyekamuo

The Spiritual Head, Soul Revival Outreach, Nnewi, Anambra state, Prophet Ikechukwu Uzukwu has canvassed the need for free and fair elections in Nigeria as a panacea for good governance and accountability.

In a media briefing in Nnewi on Sunday, Prophet Uzukwu identified electoral malpractice in the country as the sole harbinger to bad governance, corruption and coup plotting by dissatisfied elements within the military.
In the first Republic, those who plotted to overthrow the then federal administration led by Alhaji Tafawa Balewa cited poor governance, rooted in corruption, divisiveness and or nepotism as their reasons, but the truth was that the elections proceeding the emergence of that administration was disputed as unfree and unfair.

” So what has changed over the years in relation to subsequent elections in the country”, ? he asked.

The prophet said what the country requires at the moment are selfless men and women, patriotic in heart, incorruptible and with the zeal to effect positive changes for the benefit of Nigerians to be appointed electoral umpires in the country’s s elections and do the wishes of the greater majority of the Nigerian electorate. no matter whose ox is gored.
Such people he said had once come on board citing Prof. Humphrey Nwose of the blessed memory who suprientended over the June12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief MKO Abiola often described as a watershed in Nigeria’s history and Prof (Mrs) , Nnenna Oti who was the Returning Officer in the Abia State governorship election in 2023.
According to him, Prof . Nwosu in 1993 had two options to give in to whims of the military administration then in power or save Nigerians from electoral malpractice but he chose the second option of saving Nigeria and it’s teeming masses by doing the right thing.
” The Abia State governorship election in 2023 presented the then Returning Officer in the election,Prof. Nnenna Oti with the option of collecting huge sum of money as we were told from who wanted the election rigged and bid poverty farewell for ever or conduct a free and fair elections, and she chose the latter.
“She conducted a free and fair election that produced Dr. Alex Otti as the people’s Governor. Today, Abians are benefiting from a well conducted election and good governance because the will of the people prevailed.
” Go to Abia today and see the giant strides he has been able to do in the last three years.

“Today, Nigerians are looking for the likes of Humphrey Nwosu and Prof. Nnenna Oti to conduct these free and fair elections which have proved difficult to do over the years.
” There have never been credible elections in Nigeria except the one conducted by Prof. Humphrey Nwosu in 1993 and Prof. Nnenna Oti in Abia in 2023.
” Today Nigerians are looking for their likes again because the will of the people during elections don’t count and their choices rarely announced as the winners.

“Nigerians should put a stop to that political madness for people’s will to thrive and usher in good governance by leaders who will be accountable to the masses who voted them into positions of authority “, he said.

He said that part of the problems in Nigeria today is that too much power is concentrated in the presidency which controls both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , the Judiciary and even the National Assembly pointing out that none of them is independent.
For this reason many corrupt politicians and those others in the opposition he emphasized are joining the APC, not out of choice but coercion in anticipation of electoral victory having realized that the president controls everything including the security agencies.
” It is the President that controls all these institutions and no matter your endeavor politically or popularity, if the President decides that you loose, it shall come to pass even with your popular votes.
” If free, fair and credible elections are conducted in Nigeria today, many of our leaders in the federal and state legislature, and executive won’t return because they will lose given their poor performances.

“But that is not the case because elections are never free and fair.
” That’s why, if Peter Obi contests with President Tinubu 10 times in today’s Nigeria, Obi will win and in each occasion, Tinubu would be declared the winner “, he said.
He said that now Nigeria seems outside help from America and other established democracies to fight Insurgency, she should also seek America’s assistance and building her democratic institutions and get rid of rigging and electoral malpractices.
” Electoral fraud gives birth to insurgency, corruption and coup d’ detat’, he said.
He said that the Tinubu presidency has failed the nation in all parameters and that if he succeeded in destroying all the opposition parties, he would contend with the people’s movement, a kind of mass protests “, he intoned.
” Let the president show Nigerians two things he has done to uplift their well-being and take them away from insecurity, hunger and diseases except borrowing to loot and looting to borrow “, he said.
He enjoined Mr. Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party to see how he can clinch the Vice Presidential ticket of a major party because he has shown in seriousness in his quest to be president of Nigeria.
According to him, as at now , Obi cannot lay strong claims to the membership of either the African Democratic Congress or the Labour Party (LP), saying he had been playing the ostrich looking for an already built party that will just hand over its Presidential ticket to him regardless of the foundation members’ interests.
Obi’s s attitude he said smacks of unseriousnes, insisting that if he was serious, he would have since registered a political party with like minds or build an existing one to his taste.
” He is like a bird flying across the ocean where there is no tree to perch. That doesn’t show seriousness about his ambition. If he continues this way, he would be like a rolling stone gathering no moss.
” Moreover, he is more of a Vice – Presidential material than a presidential candidate. From all indications, Obi is behaving like somebody who is not ready.
” As it is, and from what is happening right now, he may not clinch the ADC ticket and he is no longer in LP.

“And the new electoral act signed into law by Mr. President makes membership of a party mandatory and with specific membership time frame to be eligible to contest for an election at any level.

“Infact, if he doesn’t take time, he may end up not contesting the 2027 presidential election “, he said.