IRREGULARITIES AND ILLEGITIMACY OF THE NZUKO AROCHUKWU MEN’S WING ELECTION OF 16th APRIL,2022.OUR STAND.
PREAMBLE:
Nzuko Arochukwu Union’s leadership runs for a three year term. The Nzuko Arochukwu 1992 CONSTITUTION stipulates that election into the national Offices shall be conducted every three years. It is a statutory obligation as enshrined in the extant law that financial up to date members nominated from branches of Nzuko Arochukwu, as well as delegates from each of the Nineteen villages that made up Arochukwu Kingdom shall form the electoral college.
This exercise is supposed to be entirely a Statutory delegate function see Article 13 A & B which enunciated the modalities for composition of the General Assembly ; and of particular interest is Article 13(A)(iv)(b) which states inter-alia;
“General Assembly meetings shall be open to all financial members of Nzuko Arochukwu who shall be free to participate in its proceedings, but voting on any matter before General Assembly shall be restricted to the representatives(delegates from the villages and branches), as provided in section 13B” which specifies the”COMPOSITION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.”As a matter this was supposed to be rule of engagement.
However, the just concluded exercise is anything shot of the standard of our enabling norm expected in a community election. There were numerous evidence of massive collusion and manipulation of the system and figures. The entire process abinitio was compromised.
1: Recall that Mazi Kingsley Okoro Kanu (Kinggmore) and his team Ngwugwu Ano had earlier on forwarded two petitions to the Eze Aro-in-Council, wherein they vehemently demanded the duo Of Mazi Emmanuel Kanu Ivi and Mazi Dave Imoko be removed from the Electotral Committee because of their obvious partisanship and all to no avail. And as such, by implication the Umpire was abini tio compromised.
2: Although the extant law permits the National Patrons to conduct a seamless general election based on the letters, character and the spirit of the constitution. Such appointed Umpires are meant to be subject to the powers and dictates of General Assembly. However, we were witnesses to an election in which the Umpire with such mindless recklessness lead by Mazi Emmanuel Kanu Ivi conducted the worst election in the history of Arochukwu Kingdom despite the wide interest the election attracted.
We are all aware how the three-Man Electoral Committee chaired by Mazi Kanu Ivii reeled four different versions of guidelines for the election with the last version less than 24 hours to the election.
It was glaring that the versions of *these guidelines released by the Electoral Committee were in conflict with Arochukwu ground norm (constitution), as they were neither approved, nor did they pass through the due process of Nzuko Arochukwu General Assembly.*
3: The Umpire strangely and illegally introduced the concept of expression of interest for aspirants in the election; which was alien to our way of conducting such election. Similarly the advance notice to President of branches and villages requesting them to submit names of their delegates to the Electoral Committee was an aberration. These rules were illegitimately imported and was at variance and in total disregard to the extant rules of the game. The Electoral Committee gave credence to undue intimidation and harassment of delegates by interested person for systematic compromises.
*How can illegality qualify legality?*
4: Aside of the above, some established branches and villages perceived by the already biased Umpires to be Mazi Kingsley Okoro Kanu strong base; such as Bonny branch,in Rivers State who met all the constitutional requirements, Obinkita and Ujari villages, Port Harcourt, Nnewi, EFFIOM and Home branches were either balkanized or out-rightly disenfranchised because they were perceived to be Mazi Kingsley Okoro Kanu’s strong hold. Whereas, hitherto unknown/ inactive branches in the last six years as evident in the record of minutes of General Assembly meetings; branches such as Kano, Yola, Jos and Asaba were illegally allowed to vote in favour of Mazi Nnadozie Udensi.
5: Again, Mazi Ivi’s refusal to declare number of accredited voters after the accreditation exercise rendered the result of the purported election unacceptable. Such action was a grand design to manipulate the final figures in favour of his Principals (Mazi Nnadozie Udensi and his Collaborators) who appointed him. Such action is tantamount to conferment of something on non existent substance. Therefore null and void, of no legal effect.
6: Nevertheless,the Umpire later told us after their choreographed poll result, that accredited number of voters was = 189 persons; whereas, Mazi Kingsley Okoro Kanu scored ninety(90 votes), Mazi Nnadozie Udensi scored ninety seven (97 votes) and with two (2) absentia. However quite a number of delegates had either gone home, some that were inside the hall were not even counted, others were even locked outside. Such persons include: Mazi J.C IMO, Mazi Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Bar Uche Okoro, Mazi Chikezie Nwokoro, Mazi Christopher Nduka, Aro USA/ New York who voted online according to Mazi Emmanuel Kanu Ivi, as well as so many other delegates. How can these persons be equated as two absentia?
7: How can the Umpire explain to the teaming Umu- Aro his reasons behind the abrupt stoppage of the vote count and the subsequent cancellation of the first counted “97 votes” that were in favour of Mazi Kingsley Okoro Kanu? *Why did Mazi Emmanuel Ivi had to wait for another two to three hours, leaving the people in total darkness ? His actions and inactions were premeditated plan orchestrated to create confusion and frustration on Kingmore delegates, and to achieve their ultimate electoral fraud.
8:It is important to state categorically here that Mazi Emmanuel Kanu Ivi knew the number of ALREADY ACCREDITED DELEGATES, and also knew that Mazi Kingsley Okoro kanu (KINGMOORE) was coasting home to victory with such “97 votes” and still counting. Thus, he decided to abruptly stop the first counting in pretence that his attention was needed at the entrance door of the Civic Center.
9: Again during that tensed atmosphere, Mazi Emmanuel Kanu Ivi led Electoral Committee instructed their agents to open the doors into the civic hall, to enable their hired machinery to flood the hall. In fact the entire exercise was characterised by undue harassment, intimidation and violence on peaceful Umu Aro who scampered for safety out of the hall.
10: Nzuko Arochukwu CONSTITUTION did not in any way confer on any person or group of persons the power to disqualify or disenfranchise any branch or village delegate(s); Provided such branch/village delegate(s) have met all their membership/ financial obligations to the Union. The classical case of Nzuko Arochukwu Bonny branch,who satisfied their financial obligation by paying into Nzuko Arochukwu account in March,2022, yet Mazi Emmanuel Ivi disqualified their delegates from voting without refund of their money. That was purely an anomaly created to short change Mazi Kingsley Okoro Kanu.
Also Nnewi branch of Nzuko Arochukwu had an aspirant from Ngwugwu Ano extraction, who also made their payment in March, 2022 but theirs was reduced from five delegates to about two delegates for no justification.
Obinkita Village issue, that was purely a judicial matter going by the fact that the sacked President-General and his cohort who went to court to challenge his removal from office was allowed to vote as a delegate when there was no Order of court/ injunction restraining the Caretaker Committee from performing the functions of their office. That was an affront on the Judiciary. Infact, Mazi Emmanuel Kanu Ivi and his election committee went beyond their mandate.
11:The obvious compromised Electoral Committee balkanized most of those branches and villages they perceived to be Mazi Kingsley Okoro Kanu’s stronghold; such as Obinkita and Ujari villages, Port Harcourt,Nnewi, Effiom and Home branches. Meanwhile, Bonny branch that was duely registered and has been active was disenfranchised, while Kano,Yola,Jos and Asaba branches which for many years had not attended any meeting according to the records of minutes of Nzuko Aro General Assembly Meetings were brought in to vote. It was evident that Mazi Emmanuel Kanu Ivi specifically brought machineries (Umu Aro) from within to vote as delegates from these non existent branches.
12: Similarly, Mazi Emmanuel Kanu Ivi’s self opinionated and high-handedness in handling the grey areas of the election exercise especially in meddling into judicial matters against the backdrop of other Patrons’ advice got most of them infuriated; Mazi Eni Paul, Mazi Samuel Ohuabunwa, Professor Okoro Ijioma and Mazi O.J Nnanna who served as members of the Electoral committee all left the venue, leaving only Mazi Dave Imoko and Mazi Emmanuel Kanu Ivi to conduct the election alone.
13:It was in view of the foregoing and obvious irregularities that made Mazi Kingsley Okoro Kanu(Kingmore) and his Ngwugwu Ano TEAM staged a walkout on the Electoral Commitee and disassociated themselves from the charade called election.
14:It is an aberration, strange and unacceptable affront on our cherished kingdom the fraud and compromises perpetrated by enemies of democracy. Such exercise cannot beget a legitimate Leadership to Nzuko Arochukwu Union. Without mincing words, It was very obvious that the Electoral Committee compromised the election and worked assiduously to return their favoured candidate elected.
15:Strangely too, Mazi Ivii, single-handedly introduced another electoral guideline during the election wherein at the point of voting during the President-General election, collected from all the delegates their tags after counting each delegate thereby foreclosing further voting for other offices as prescribed in ARTICLE 7B of the 1992 Constitution of Nzuko Arochukwu. This is an irregularity that constitute a valid ground for voiding the election by a court of competent jurisdiction.
16: We appeal to Eze Aro in-Council and other revered institutions in Arochukwu Kingdom to quickly intervene in this debacle, in the interest of peace and development of Arochukwu Kingdom. The will of the people should not be allowed to be subverted. We unequivocally know that majority of Nzuko Arochukwu electoral college”voted massively for Mazi Kingsley Okoro Kanu (Kingmore) and his team but the obvious victory was truncated as a result of the decision of the Electoral Committee to work from answer to the question from day one of their appointment as Electoral Committee Members.
17: However let it be known that despite the obvious chronicled facts that clearly showed that the April 16th 2022 election of Men’s Wing of Nzuko Aro was seriously marred by massive fraud and irregularities, and these facts would have made our matter in court so easy but because of Mazi Kingsley Okoro Kanu( KINGMOORE) and HIS NGWUGWU ANO Team’s love and passion for AROCHUKWU, and for the sake of PEACE IN AROCHUKWU KINGDOM, have chosen not to pursue this electoral robbery in a Court of Competent Jurisdiction with a view to upturning the charade of election but rather to resolving this debacle within the confines of AROCHUKWU CONFLICT RESOLUTION INSTITUTIONS, as embarking on such otherwise would definitely bring disunity, hatred, animosity, enemity, segregation, commotion and conflict in the Kingdom which is not needed at this time, especially now that security in our country is at its lowest ebb.
Thank You and God Bless.
Deacon Kingsley Okoro Kanu (Kingmoore)