Anglican Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, Bishop Ndubuisi Obi, has expressed deep disappointment over the conduct of the Local Government and Councillor elections held on Saturday, condemning the electoral process as a failure.
In a statement shared on his official Facebook page, Bishop Obi criticised the manner in which the elections were conducted, particularly lamenting the involvement of a Professor in overseeing the flawed process.
He expressed his dismay at the inability of a scholar of such high academic standing to manage a credible election in his own state, describing the exercise as a “charade.”
The Bishop highlighted a specific incident involving a physically challenged candidate from Nnewi, who, despite his determination and commitment to running for a Councillor seat, faced severe setbacks.
According to Obi, the candidate actively provided real-time updates on election day and documented clear evidence of irregularities. However, these efforts were met with force as security personnel allegedly dispersed him and others with tear gas, thereby stifling the democratic process.
Bishop Obi questioned the rationale behind allowing young aspirants to invest their time and resources into a system rigged from the onset.
He criticised the government for allegedly manipulating results and noted that such practices mirrored the conduct in other states.
“If the government of the day wanted to write results because other states are doing that, they shouldn’t have allowed these young fellows to waste their time and resources pursuing what never existed in the first place,” he stated.
In his emotional appeal, Bishop Obi raised concerns about the future of democracy and governance in Anambra State, stressing the damage caused to societal values.
He argued that the flawed grassroots elections signalled a troubling future, where winners may not feel obliged to serve their constituents, knowing they did not truly earn their mandate.
“My pain is that we are destroying the society we are supposed to be building,” Obi lamented. “My pain is that those that won in this election may not care to serve the people as they know they did not have the mandate of the people.”
The cleric further questioned the integrity of the academic community, expressing regret over the perceived failure of higher institutions to produce individuals of character and moral strength who can transform society.
He asked, “What is the essence of going to school if our being educated cannot help us do things differently? Why should we even bother to send our children to our universities if their lecturers after teaching for so long in the university will enter the political terrain and behave like an illiterate agbero?”
Reflecting on the broader implications of the election, the Bishop further lamented, “If academia cannot produce men that can change the status quo in our clime, where else do we turn to?”
The elections, marred by these allegations, have cast a shadow over the credibility of the political process in Nnewi, with many expressing similar frustrations.
Pilot News earlier reported that the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, swept all the councillorship and chairmanship positions in the State local government council election over the weekend.
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