Reminiscent of what happened in 2011 when Governor Theodore Orji of Abia
State sacked some council chairmen for their inability to stop him from being booed by Aba residents at the Enyimba Stadium during the burial of Eze Igbo Gburugburu, Chukwuemeka Odumuegwu Ojukwu, the governor has again removed four local government chairmen, for their inability to allegedly rig the March 28, 2015 Presidential and National Assembly polls in their areas in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The affected Transition Committee Chairmen are Deacon Iyke Onwukwe, Umuahia North, his Umuahia South counterpart, Chief Charles Ekwueme, Dr. Christian Okoli, Aba South and Prince Dan Kanu, Aba North.
Although, the state government did not give reason for their removal, but it was alleged that they were appointed some months ago to ensure victory for the PDP during the polls, they were sacked because they may not have lived up to expectation.
A source said the state government was livid at the inability of the sacked council chairmen to turn victory in the affected local governments in favour of the ruling PDP as was the case in other council areas.
The source noted that the state government was more worried by the way Gov Orji lost in both Umuahia North and South while his close associate also lost in his bid to return to the House of Representative for Aba North and Aba South, which it said was most embarrassing.
“You know there was nowhere the PDP won election in the state. But the results that were being circulated, were manipulated by some council chairmen with alleged collaboration of some unscrupulous Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff.
“In the affected councils, their chairmen were sacked, the former LG bosses out of mere moral fibre or lack of the opportunity, could not change the wish of the people as did other LG chairmen in the state which led to the embarrassing defeat of the governor in his political unit, ward, local government and the Government House did not find this funny,” the source said.
One of the sacked local government chairmen, who wouldn’t want his name in print, expressed disgust over how they were treated after serving the state and protected her interest.
He said it was unfair if they were sacked for allegedly not over-turning the wish of the people, stressing that there was not much he could have done in that regard under the present circumstance.
Meanwhile, the state government has replaced the sacked local government chairmen with those sources say it believed would rig the election for PDP in tomorrow’s governorship/state Assembly elections.
