RE: 6TH FEBRUARY 2010 ANAMBRA ELECTION: AWKA WARD 6 OBSERVERS REPORT

YOUTH COALITION ON ELECTORAL REFORM (YCER)
DELTA STATE CHAPTER
OFFICE OF THE STATE COORDINATOR
49F EKWO STREET, AJAJI QRTS, ASABA, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA.
www.unovin.blogspot.com; unovin@gmail.com; zccdelta@gmail.com; 07063557099.


RE: 6TH FEBRUARY 2010 ANAMBRA ELECTION: AWKA WARD 6 OBSERVERS REPORT

Some days before the February 6th 2010 Anambra election, the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Anambra State Chapter, with Support and Funding from National Democratic Institute (NDI), organized a capacity building workshop for civil society organizations monitoring democratic and electoral processes in Nigeria brought together by Youth Action Initiative Africa (YAIA), on voters education, voters registration and election observation system for civil society organizations, for master trainers, selected from various states of the 6 geo-political zones of the nation, Youth Coalition on Electoral Reform (YCER) Delta State Chapter, was one of the selected participants and was assigned to observe the election at Awka ward Seven.

The observer (Youth Coalition on Electoral Reform-YCER-) was primarily supposed to observe electoral processes at Unity Primary School, Umuokpu-Awka, with the knowledge that other polling stations in the ward include: community primary school 1 & 2, as well as, Ebe Duru Square, these other polling stations had the attention of the observer as the distance between them was within a close distant.

The observer arrived at Awka ward seven at about 8.25am, up till 10.30am in the morning there was no sign of INEC Electoral officers, voting material and any sign that voting will take place, at about this time both electoral materials and INEC electoral officers were ready to commence the voting process at St. Augustine Anglican Church, Aguogba-Amawbia, which is less than 5 poles away from Unity Primary School, and on the same tarred major link road to other towns in the state.

At about this same time at St. Paul Anglican Church, Umuokpu-Awka, voters were visibly ready to cast their votes but there were no INEC Staff, Voting Materials or any sign that voting will be possible.

In all these, there are some questions begging for answers, some of these include:
* why has the JDPC through the catholic church parish priest failed to mobilize their members for the voting exercise at Unity primary school, Umuokpu-Awka?
* does it mean that the JDPC has no communication channel with the parish priest as to inform him that his parish and the school there was selected as one of the polling stations in ward seven?
* is it true that parish priests distant themselves from the activities of the JDPC, if not why this grand failure in the voters mobilization process, which the catholic church was to champion at unity primary school?
* what could be the major problem that brought forth this communication failure and lapses in the voters mobilization process in a polling station within the JDPC and catholic church controlled area?
* is it not time NDI investigate the reason behind the lapses at ward seven?
* is it not time NDI reconsiders the nature of the partnership thrust between JDPC and NDI?
* why on earth will INEC deny the eligible youth and women voters from ward seven their rights to civic participation, especially their right to choose who will lead them?
* why were the polling stations controlled by the Anglican churches more proactive and committed?




The observer could not find reasons why the polling stations in ward seven had zero sign of electoral processes, if one is to accept that INEC abused the rights of voters at Umuokpu-Awka to choose who will be their governor, yet, another issue is how come the JDPC and the parish priest at Umuokpu-Awka failed to protect the confidence and rights of the voters within their religious jurisdiction.

The observer believe that the roles played by the JDPC and the parish priest with respect to elections at ward seven should be investigated by NDI to find out why voters mobilization failed, if INEC failed to provide electoral materials and staff, it is not enough reasons why there should be failure in voters mobilization.

From practical field observation, the observer gathered that there was no proactive and productive move from the parish priest to ensure that the fundamental rights of voters at Awka ward seven was protected and to ensure that election actually take place in the ward, again at the Amawbia collation center where, the parish priest was sighted but there were no signs that he was visibly concerned that the peoples right to vote was abused at Awka ward seven.

That the election in some other parts of the state was violent free and relatively fair will not be all that we need in future elections in Nigeria, the Anambra February 6th election would have been the best electoral process in the country, if not for the black spot on the near perfect Anambra elections, that black spot is a huge injustice done to all the eligible voters (men, youth and women) at Awka ward seven, the hijacking of the fundamental rights of voters at Awka ward seven is a political evil, it is akin to beating a child and forcing same not to drop any tears, this action as believe by many ward seven voters was planned and implemented by INEC staff with back from the Governor Peter obi incumbent administration.

We, the entire leaders, members and supporter of Youth Coalition on Electoral Reform (YCER) Delta State Chapter, say no to the abuse and denial of fundamental rights of all the eligible voters in Awka ward seven, Awka south local Government Area of Anambra State, knowing that any injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere, YCER Delta State Chapter is aware of Awka ward seven, who knows how many of such denial took place in Anambra State, our fellow youths who want a great future have being denied access to their fundamental right as citizens of this great nation, any such future attempt will be resisted.

We now call on INEC, APGA, Mr. PETER OBI, Anambra State Government, South-East States Governments, Federal Government, JDPC, Nigerian Non-Governmental Organizations, NDI, DFID, Action Aid, United Nations, and International Non-Government Organizations to prevail on the Government of Anambra State and other state-based stakeholders to collectively seek for a proactive and result-oriented redress agenda for the abuse of the fundamental rights of the Awka ward seven voters, as well as fashion a sustainable program that will prevent such injustice to such large magnitude of voters.

Copies of this memo will be sent to all the above mentioned agencies, organizations and institutions.



Yours In The Service Of Rights Protection



COMRADE OKONTA EMEKA OKELUM
STATE COORDINATOR
YOUTH COALITION ON ELECTORAL REFORM (YCER) DELTA STATE CHAPTER