E-Results Transmission: Constituents Query Ekwunife’s Absence From Voting

The Obosi community in the Idemili North Local Government Area
of Anambra State has queried the senator representing the area,
Uche Ekwueme, for being absent during voting on electronic
transmission of election results at the upper legislative chamber
last week.

A former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka
Anyaoku, is from the community.

The constituents, under the aegis of the Obosi Development
Union, issued the query in a statement jointly signed by the
President, Goddy Ikebuaku, and Secretary, Chimezie Obi, and made
available to journalists in Awka on Wednesday.

They lamented that Ekwunife’s absence was a sign of
insensitivity and disconnect with her constituents.

They expressed disappointment that their voice was not heard in
the Senate over the issue due to their representative’s
absence.

The constituents alleged that Ekwunife was aware of their
disaffection with the electoral system in the country, which
intrinsically was connected to the lack of integrity and confidence
in the election result delivery process.

They noted that this usually resulted in acrimony, violence and
fatalities.

The statement read in part, “As our representative in the
National Assembly, we expect that when very sensitive and important
decisions of voting are taking place in the Senate, you will not
only make yourself available, but also use every means possible to
lobby your colleagues, especially those from the North, because of
their numerical strength, to support initiatives that will advance
the cause and of your constituents.

“Unless satisfactory explanation is offered, our members and
your constituents at large are inclined to view your action as
typical of politicians, who profit or hope to profit from election
result manipulation that has bedevilled our electoral system and
frustrated the desires of the people to elect representatives of
their choice as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution as
amended.”

Efforts to get the senator for her reaction were futile as her
mobile telephone rang out.

She had also yet to reply to a text and the WhatsApp messages
sent to her as of the time of filing this report.

The Obosi community in the Idemili North Local Government Area
of Anambra State has queried the senator representing the area,
Uche Ekwueme, for being absent during voting on electronic
transmission of election results at the upper legislative chamber
last week.

A former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka
Anyaoku, is from the community.

The constituents, under the aegis of the Obosi Development
Union, issued the query in a statement jointly signed by the
President, Goddy Ikebuaku, and Secretary, Chimezie Obi, and made
available to journalists in Awka on Wednesday.

They lamented that Ekwunife’s absence was a sign of
insensitivity and disconnect with her constituents.

They expressed disappointment that their voice was not heard in
the Senate over the issue due to their representative’s
absence.

The constituents alleged that Ekwunife was aware of their
disaffection with the electoral system in the country, which
intrinsically was connected to the lack of integrity and confidence
in the election result delivery process.

They noted that this usually resulted in acrimony, violence and
fatalities.

The statement read in part, “As our representative in the
National Assembly, we expect that when very sensitive and important
decisions of voting are taking place in the Senate, you will not
only make yourself available, but also use every means possible to
lobby your colleagues, especially those from the North, because of
their numerical strength, to support initiatives that will advance
the cause and of your constituents.

“Unless satisfactory explanation is offered, our members and
your constituents at large are inclined to view your action as
typical of politicians, who profit or hope to profit from election
result manipulation that has bedevilled our electoral system and
frustrated the desires of the people to elect representatives of
their choice as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution as
amended.”

Efforts to get the senator for her reaction were futile as her
mobile telephone rang out.

She had also yet to reply to a text and the WhatsApp messages
sent to her as of the time of filing this report.