Abia USA group protests at Nigerian consulate in New York; calls on Buhari to monitor events in Abia
Special to USAfricaonline.com, and USAfrica multimedia networks, Houston. Follow USAfrica at Facebook.com/USAfricaChido , Facebook.com/USAfrica247 and Twitter.com/Chido247
A few hours ago on Saturday October 17, 2015, at the Nigerian Consulate in New York city, a group of Abia State indigenes and several Americans rallied to protest what they cited as a “grand, corrupt scheme to violate the actual votes of Abia people. Hence, we call on the US Department of State and the federal government of Nigeria to immediately keep an oversight interest concerning the events in Abia State.”
The group pointed out that they reflect the strong position of the almost 250,000 Nigerians in the greater New York East Coast region Who are demanding for accountability, transparency and elections which truly reflect the will of the people.
In the statement which was signed by the spokesman for the group, CC Agujiegbe, the network emphasized that “we are protesting the continued stay in office of the PDP Governor [Ikpeazu] whose name and claim to the office has long been tainted by presented evidences which show rigging, falsification of results, violence against those who pull against them, manipulation of numbers and votes, etc.”
Also, the diaspora group noted that it had “major and realistic concerns over the issue that the Ochendo-Ikpeazu-PDP gang started boasting and bragging about their certainty of victory BEFORE the Abia Elections Tribunal gave its initial rulings. We are very concerned that the same gang started ‘celebrating’ BEFORE the then yet to be announced rulings of the Abia Elections Tribunal on the senatorial and House of Representative seats because, allegedly, that notorious gang sought to compromise the process. The fact is they got favorable rulings; and with those rulings ndi Abia are asking more questions about the independence and transparency of both the Tribunal and the notorious iINEC in Abia State.”
The group added in that statement obtained by USAfricaonline.com, that “We therefore:
1: call on the elections tribunal to take complete and adequate cognizance of those factors and evidences in order to reach the correct and appropriate conclusion.
2: We, therefore, believe based on the number of ACTUAL votes cast in the April 2015 election, Dr. Alex Otti, first class banker and technocrat, should be declared the rightful winner and Governor of Abia State.
3: appeal for the support of New Yorkers who we already know are opposed to the hijacking of the electoral process.
4: we call on the US Department of State and the federal government of Nigeria to immediately keep an oversight interest concerning the events in Abia State.”
An elections tribunal remains in session in Umuahia [capital of Abia] where the entry of the final/closing arguments by the Otti and Ikpeazu lawyers on Monday October 19, 2015. Supporters of Otti and Ikpeazu are, metaphorically, pregnant with expectations of the tribunal ruling in their favour, or…. By Chido Nwangwu, Founder & Publisher of USAfrica and first African-owned, U.S-based professional newspaper published on the internet. chido@USAfricaonline.com Follow me @Chido247
networks Chido Nwangwu. CNN anchors John Berman n Michaela Pereira. reportage book, MANDELA & ACHEBE: Footprints of Greatness, about two GLOBAL icons and towering PERSONS of African descent whose exemplary lives
and friendship HOLD lessons for humanity and Africans, USAfrica Founder Chido Nwangwu takes a measure of their works and CONSEQUENCE to write that Mandela and Achebe have left “footprints of greatness.” to Achebe. He moderated the 2012 Achebe Colloquium at Brown UNIVERSITY in Providence, Rhode Island.“I’ll forever remember having walked inside and peeped through that HISTORIC Mandela jail cell (where he was held for most of his 27 years in unjust imprisonment) at the dreaded Robben Island, on March 27, 1998, alongside then Editor-in-chief of TIME magazine and later news chief EXECUTIVE of the CNN, Walter Isaacson (and others) when PRESIDENT BILL Clinton made his first official trip to South Africa and CAME to Robben Island. Come to this island of scourge and you will understand, in part, the simple greatness and towering grace of Nelson Mandela”, notes Chido Nwangwu, award-winning writer, multimedia specialist and founder of USAfricaonline.com, the first African-owned U.S-based newspaper published on the INTERNET
, in his first book; he writes movingly from his 1998 reporting from South Africa on Mandela. http://www.mandelaachebechido.com/
Mr Nsah with al sincerity all Abians voted and Okezie won. Stop this your distraction. Enough of it! Let Abians enjoy the good governance coming from their amiable governor. Your protest is nothing but propaganda but Abians are wiser now. If USAfrica is not biased, how come during election he invited only Otti to Texas for a town hall meeting. Your report is very biased period!
Madam, are you in all sincerity saying that Abians voted for Okezie Ikpeazu? If yes is your answer, then you are one of those who do not wish Abia and its people well. Examine your concience properly.
Paid disgruntled elements living in Texas have no clue of Abia Census in the North East. They don’t even have a clue of Abia State current Affairs. They will learn someday.
This is a hopeless cause. Not sure the import of such exercise. The tribunal is an independent competent court…..their decision should be respected. If the verdict had gone the other way, it would have been justice.
Chinasa Madumere, right on the money.
Except there is willingness to deploy strategic counter efforts to frustrate and stall their actions, the chest beating and pounding will be laughed at.
Already they are laughing at the supposedly new and improved Nigerians abroad.
If not for the Dollar-Naira exchange rate that has given most Nigerians in US false sense of “we are it”, drill down, there is no collateral content.
Village folks can do better than what the so called abroad people can show.
Just my 2 kobo.
Emmanuel Ifeanyichukwu Uke
Ejike Okpa,You are highly analytical thus possesing value, depth and collateral.
Any time ; Anyday you fill the gap!
Nwokem Onyia Tee, only someone of similar trait open to seeking ways to enhance our collective existence, can come out sincere with sich observation. De eje nwokem.
We are in this together, just very few good wo/men willing to defy conventional wisdom to make us realize our opportunities lying in wait always almost going to waste.
If when one wakes up is their morning, when will we wake up?
We are on to something. Stay on course for the cause.
I believe we need to redefine our collective approach to some of the government actions we disapprove. Street demonstration will not make a dint
Paid disgruntled elements living in Texas have no clue of Abia Census in the North East. They don’t even have a clue of Abia State current Affairs. They will learn someday.
Chido Nwangwu, correction, there are not 250,000 Nigerians in eastern region of United States. Assuming you are referring to the old 13 original states.
It is highly unlikely that such number can be authenticated by any relaible data. U could have said thousands without using a number because since it is unlikely, your report on that singular account loses credibility.
There are more Nigerians both Nigerian-American and American-Nigerians in Texas than any other state.
Abia folks calling on Buhari in a NY protest, is a laughing joke. How come they did not sponsor an independent observer to go and monitor as well as watch the tribunal proceedings?
They should have retained a lawyer from here and one or a group in Nigeria, to become friends of the court, to observe.
It is one thing to line up streets and chant, another is to be strategic and put one’s money where their mouth is.
I doubt Nigerians in US/UK are that sophisticated in their approach to deploy such resource.
Not WIC mired with a leadership anchored on “Igbo kwenu” and beer parlor chant, can be that advanced in stepping forward.
Why persons in US are so concerned by what happens in Nigeria, where they do not have collateral presence except wishful involvement, beats me.
Good luck encouraging lousy involvement when you should have been advocating strategic approach. But again, USAfrica is about entertainment.
Chinasa Madumere Chinasa Madumere Benjamin Nnawuihe Helen Arizor Skc Ogbonnia Taiwo Olowu Temitayo Modupe Bakare Ike Okoro Chekwas Okorie Felix Oti Felix Nnaji Simon Iberosi Eugene Iwuamanam Benji Iheme Nnodum Iheme Bernard C. Nwaiwu Oge Nwaiwu Victor Ibewuike Victor O Emuakhagbon Victor Suave Ekwealor
This is a hopeless cause. Not sure the import of such exercise. The tribunal is an independent competent court…..their decision should be respected. If the verdict had gone the other way, it would have been justice.
Chinasa Madumere, right on the money.
Except there is willingness to deploy strategic counter efforts to frustrate and stall their actions, the chest beating and pounding will be laughed at.
Already they are laughing at the supposedly new and improved Nigerians abroad.
If not for the Dollar-Naira exchange rate that has given most Nigerians in US false sense of “we are it”, drill down, there is no collateral content.
Village folks can do better than what the so called abroad people can show.
Just my 2 kobo.
Emmanuel Ifeanyichukwu Uke
Ejike Okpa,You are highly analytical thus possesing value, depth and collateral.
Any time ; Anyday you fill the gap!
Nwokem Onyia Tee, only someone of similar trait open to seeking ways to enhance our collective existence, can come out sincere with sich observation. De eje nwokem.
We are in this together, just very few good wo/men willing to defy conventional wisdom to make us realize our opportunities lying in wait always almost going to waste.
If when one wakes up is their morning, when will we wake up?
We are on to something. Stay on course for the cause.
I believe we need to redefine our collective approach to some of the government actions we disapprove. Street demonstration will not make a dint
Chido Nwangwu, correction, there are not 250,000 Nigerians in eastern region of United States. Assuming you are referring to the old 13 original states.
It is highly unlikely that such number can be authenticated by any relaible data. U could have said thousands without using a number because since it is unlikely, your report on that singular account loses credibility.
There are more Nigerians both Nigerian-American and American-Nigerians in Texas than any other state.
Abia folks calling on Buhari in a NY protest, is a laughing joke. How come they did not sponsor an independent observer to go and monitor as well as watch the tribunal proceedings?
They should have retained a lawyer from here and one or a group in Nigeria, to become friends of the court, to observe.
It is one thing to line up streets and chant, another is to be strategic and put one’s money where their mouth is.
I doubt Nigerians in US/UK are that sophisticated in their approach to deploy such resource.
Not WIC mired with a leadership anchored on “Igbo kwenu” and beer parlor chant, can be that advanced in stepping forward.
Why persons in US are so concerned by what happens in Nigeria, where they do not have collateral presence except wishful involvement, beats me.
Good luck encouraging lousy involvement when you should have been advocating strategic approach. But again, USAfrica is about entertainment.
Chinasa Madumere Chinasa Madumere Benjamin Nnawuihe Helen Arizor Skc Ogbonnia Taiwo Olowu Temitayo Modupe Bakare Ike Okoro Chekwas Okorie Felix Oti Felix Nnaji Simon Iberosi Eugene Iwuamanam Benji Iheme Nnodum Iheme Bernard C. Nwaiwu Oge Nwaiwu Victor Ibewuike Victor O Emuakhagbon Victor Suave Ekwealor
What are they protesting for? Are these people just waking up from sleep? Do they know that Abia has an elected Government & a team that is working tirelessly to make sure that Abia state is transformed. This protest I think is instigating & will derail progress in Abia State. My advice to these instigators is to go home & be part of the transformation & progress. Dr. Ikpeazu is Abia State Governor people, join him in creating a new Abia. Quit from your hateful protest.
Abians in diaspora have no electoral value and can only make noise,but Abians in Abia State have long used their electoral instruments to choose their governor,Dr Ikpeazu.
What are they protesting for? Are these people just waking up from sleep? Do they know that Abia has an elected Government & a team that is working tirelessly to make sure that Abia state is transformed. This protest I think is instigating & will derail progress in Abia State. My advice to these instigators is to go home & be part of the transformation & progress. Dr. Ikpeazu is Abia State Governor people, join him in creating a new Abia. Quit from your hateful protest.
Abians in diaspora have no electoral value and can only make noise,but Abians in Abia State have long used their electoral instruments to choose their governor,Dr Ikpeazu.