“Bread of deceit is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel”. This word of God as recorded in Proverbs 20:17 best describes what is happening in the Imo State chapter of the APC today. Governor Hope Uzodimma might have expected those in opposition to “rant” and cry after he supervised what could pass as the most brazen electoral heist in the history of Nigerian politics. But, it is rather his key men and leaders of his own Party that are exposing the fraud that the election.
What started like a mere social media “dragging” by Chief Willie Amadi has exploded into a full-blown war of attrition, cascading to the rank and file of Imo APC. While some of those involved and willing to talk may not have access to the media or enjoy the mass readership that Willie Amadi and lately, Tony Gray, enjoy, one can still get useful snippets of how billions of Imo money were wasted in attempts to rewrite results of elections across Imo State. While the APC eventually succeeded in rewriting just about three House of Representatives seats, in Orlu and Okigwe zones, emerging facts show that the governor’s original scheme was to steal all the elections.
If anyone had any doubts about Willie Amadi’s initial accusations over the “misappropriation” of monies meant to bribe INEC officials and pay “stakeholders” to look the other way, a supporting write-up by Tony Gray, another staunch Uzodimma apostle from Owerri West rested every such doubt one may have had about the mindless manipulation that Uzodimma designed for this election.
According to Gray, Uzodimma actually released 100 Million Naira to each LGA for “vote canvassing” and other election-related expenses. This is outside the mouthwatering thousands of dollars allegedly released to some critical Party leaders, security personnel and INEC officials in order to subvert the will of the people.
It is unfortunate that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other agencies charged with investigating and prosecuting financial crimes and electoral-related breaches are looking the other way while these revelations are viral on social media. There wouldn’t be a better way to show these agencies’ seriousness with their mandate than ensuring that all those concerned in this are invited for interrogation. Both the accused and the accusers shouldn’t be allowed to move on like everything is alright.
I have read somewhere that the unfortunate and highly embarrassing Imo State CP, Mohammed Barde has threatened to arrest and prosecute vote buyers tomorrow, but I know that he is simply announcing the plans he might have cooked with his puppeteer, Hope Uzodimma, to frame up some opposition leaders tomorrow by accusing them of indulging in vote buying. CP Barde doesn’t act as a Policeman but as Uzodimma’s private bodyguard, so, anything he says or promises will have to be seen from that point of view. If the CP wants us to take him seriously, he should, first of all, invite the individuals involved in the ongoing scandal over hundreds of millions of Naira and thousands of dollars dispensed for election fraud and vote buying. In a criminal investigation, you start from the known to the unknown. We already know that Uzodimma gives money for vote buying and election rigging and the information to that effect is coming from his closest political allies. Let the Police invite those people to extract more information from them.
Already, reports have started flying around that money has been disbursed from government houses for both legitimate and illegitimate election logistics. Groups have released statements accusing different individuals of being involved in different aspects of vote buying and electoral fraud, the CP, the DSS director, the REC and every other institution and official who is supposed to take action is looking the other way. IMO MUST BE SET FREE!
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