Read Ifere Paul’s “15 Points You Should Know About Obudu Bye Elections”

Die hard critic and social commentator, Ifere Paul has published online, what he referred to as “15 Points You Should Know About Obudu Bye Elections”, as the build-up to what should be a political battle between the PDP and the APC for Obudu State Constituency gets ready to play out. Please read:

1. PDP imposed Abbey Stephen Ukpukpen to inherit her late husband’s slot.
2. Mrs Abbey Ukpukpen is not, as we speak a registered member of PDP in the unit where her husband comes from. Whether she is a registered member of PDP in Abi LGA is yet to be ascertained.
3. According to Nigeria electoral laws, “a person willing to be voted for must be a registered member of the political party were s/he intends to contest the elections.” Specifically, such a candidate or aspirant must have been registered in the unit/ward of the party where s/he comes from.
4. Obudu people do not want representation by inheritance or imposition.
5. Obudu people, especially, the village that Late Hon Stephen Ukpukpen represented thinks that Mrs Abbey is not qualified to represent them.
6. The Bye-elections is not about parties. It is about the people of Obudu.
7. Even though the PDP has with utmost impunity imposed their candidate on the people of Obudu, the APC has with consideration on the people selected one of the homegrown and homeboy to represent the wishes of the Obudu people.
8. This bye election is about the personalities so chosen to represent the people. The personalities are Abbey vs Ishamali. The Obudu people must therefore choose carefully who to represent them.
9. Ishamali is a registered member of the APC. But that in itself is not so important. What is more important is that if Ishamali wins this contest, he will give Obudu people a very big leverage in the State House of Assembly.
10. While Abbey Ukpukpen win (which is most unlikely) will be on the continuity of ordinariness, Ishamali will be a key player in the house…a principal officer. And a minority leader of the house.
11. As a minority leader, couple with his personal responsibility, and the fact that he is a homegrown homeboy, Ishamali stands to lead the Obudu people away from the maladministration suffered by the people in the last three years.
12. As a minority leader, Ishamali stands to oppose certain adverse policies across the state, including the demolition of properties without due compensation. That is, the destruction of people houses in Obudu in particular, would have been resisted if there was someone opposing the policies of the government.
13. While I commend both Abbey and Ishamali for their emergence as contestant in the bye election, it cannot be forgotten that Abbey is a product of illegality.
14. A vote for Abbey is a vote against Obudu people.
15. Vote for Adah Ishamali of APC for fair, responsible, and equitable.

The views expressed are Ifere Paul’s and do not represent the views of www.calitown.com.