TheCable

Frank Nweke II, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Enugu, says his expectations and those of his supporters were dashed by the “institutions of state” that they had “hoped would do better”.

NAN reports that Nweke, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Enugu, called on his supporters to keep hopes alive pending the announcement of the election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

On Monday, INEC suspended the collation of results in Nsukka and Nkanu east LGAs of Enugu.

Nweke had earlier alleged that thugs were threatening voters on election day in many areas of the state.

The Enugu chapter of APGA also described the election as “a complete sham” that was fraught with “malfeasance, violence, and illegalities”.

Nweke said the residents of the states were “exploited” and “effectively regarded as political collateral damage”.

However, he thanked his supporters for their efforts during the campaign and election process, and urged them to “keep building this movement, regardless of the outcome of last Saturday’s election”.

“Instead, I want you to sit back and reflect on what we did achieve through this process. Those will be our springboard,” the former minister of information said.

“You stood up for what you believed against pecuniary, partisan, or immediate interests and boldly asked me the tough questions and quizzed some of my answers in a bid to arrive at solutions that were robust and most inclusive.

“Ours ran with the solutions I proposed and spoke boldly to show the world why we needed a new paradigm in Enugu State.

“We were grossly disappointed by the institutions of state that we hoped would do better.

“Our people were used, exploited, threatened, manipulated, and effectively regarded as political collateral damage.

“But for me, the awakening that many of you experienced remains an inspiration.

“You were with me when we met the trader who sat under the sun with her two-week-old baby and followed me to other pitiable areas of the state.

“You became fellow researchers, as we analysed the grand theft in the Enugu State budgets and reviewed the responsibilities of local government authorities to our rural communities.

“Myopic politicians sought to destroy the citizens they claim that they want to serve.

“For them, it is about the politics of winning at all costs and grabbing power for the sake of perpetuating oppression.

“But, for you and I, it was about repairing broken breaches and restoring hope in the hearts of our people. It was beyond retiring the old order as we already had a blueprint for the new.

“It is my plan that we keep building this movement, regardless of the outcome of last Saturday’s election.

“We will await the announcement of the decision from INEC and share our next step afterward.”

Meanwhile, INEC has resumed the collation of results in the suspended LGAs in the state.