Opposition still hopeful despite PDP’s triumph in C’ River

The two elections held so far in Cross River State have shown that the opposition parties still need to do more to win elective positions in the ‘Peoples Paradise’, writes MUDIAGA AFFE

Since 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party has been the ruling party in Cross River State. But for the first time since the advent of the Fourth Republic, analysts believe that opposition parties stand a chance to clinch elective positions in the 2011 election because of the efforts they put in during the electioneering.

Unfortunately, the April 9 National Assembly election and the April 16 presidential election did not quite prove that the opposition parties had mustered the kind of strength that will unseat the PDP.

From the outset, the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission through the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini, did not hide the fact that it was in the state to conduct free, fair and credible elections. The posture of INEC thus put the ruling party on the edge and made it possible for the hitherto docile opposition parties to gear up to challenge the ruling PDP in virtually all elective positions.

Results of the National Assembly election showed that the PDP won in all the eight federal constituencies and one senatorial district where elections were held, while the ruling party also held sway in the April 16 presidential election by clinching over 90 per cent of the votes cast.

But shortly after the elections, some leaders of the opposition parties cried foul, citing money as the major inducing factor that made it possible for the PDP to win the elections.

According to the Congress for Progessive Change House of Representatives candidate for Calabar South/Bakassi/Akpabuyo Federal Constituency, Group Capt. Edem Oyo-Ita (retd.), traditional rulers should be blamed for being involved in politics.

The former military officer, who came fourth in the election, frowned at the alleged vote-for-money attitude displayed by the people of the area.

He said that instead of the people to vote for candidates that would protect their interest and ensure that good projects are cited in the constituency, they decided to trade their votes for money.

Also the Chairman of the state chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Cletus Obun, said shortly after the National Assembly poll that his party would challenge the results of the election in the state, alleging that there were massive irregularities which violated the Electoral Act.

Obun said, “The provisions of the Electoral Act were clearly violated and that is why this election will be challenged by the ACN. We are going to take it to a logical conclusion in a civilised manner.”

Obun said some of the alleged irregularities include; late arrival of election materials in several polling stations particularly in the rural areas; and assault of ACN supporters by security operatives.

However, while commending INEC for the peaceful and credible conduct of the elections so far held in the state, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Mrs. Nsa Adegoke, accused some of the commission’s ad-hoc staff for perpetuating electoral fraud.

For instance, in one of the polling units in Odukpani, Adegoke said the presiding officer refused to make public the total number of accredited voters before voting commenced. She noted that the officer’s action was a breach of the electoral procedure for the conduct of credible poll.

She also pointed out that during the presidential election, a polling unit was moved from its usual public location in the same Odukpani to the premises of a chieftain of the ruling PDP, adding that the result from such unit would have been manipulated to favour the ruling party.

However, a lot of factors have been given for the success of the PDP in the state. One of such is that the PDP is the only party where a presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, visited the state to solicit votes from the electorate.

Some have argued that it was a mark of respect for the party’s presidential candidate to come to the state irrespective of his tight schedule, while the other candidates never tried to come to campaign in the state.

Besides, the state Governor, Liyel Imoke was the Campaign Coordinator of the Jonathan/Sambo ticket for the South-South Zone. Not only did he use his structure to campaign for the PDP, there was adequate funds to embark on campaigns across the state.

Religion also had an influence. Before the election, the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, through its state chairman, Archibong Archibong, met at the International Bible Mission and adopted President Jonathan as its candidate.

But, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ugbe, and the Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Affairs, Mr. Edet Asim, believed that it was the leadership quality of Imoke that gave the PDP victory in the state.

Ugbe was quick to deny the allegation of vote-for-cash, stressing that the electorate should not be insulted.

Although the National Assembly and presidential polls in Cross RIver State were adjudged to be freely and fairly contested, the opposition’s efforts have not yielded results. However, it is not yet uhuru for the ruling party as the House of Assembly election, which comes up next Tuesday, still provides an opportunity for major opposition parties to prove that they can triumph.

Beyond that, the decision of the Court of Appeal on tenure elongation will make it possible for the opposition parties to worm their way into the hearts of the people before the governorship election will be conducted in the state in August 2012.