The opposing presidential candidate for the Thursday 7th December Anambra State Chapter of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, election, Comrade Victor Muo, has said the purported reelection of Comrade Chikwelu Adigwe as president to pilot the affairs of the union in the next four years lacks legality.
Comrade Muo, who spoke to the press in Awka on Friday 8 December following the outcome of the union’s state quadrennial conference held at its secretariat in Awka, pointed out what he described as several irregularities that marred the conference, which, he said, made him to stage a walkout during the election.
‘I staged a walkout because a section of our constitution, Rule 12, II, which clearly stated that the state executive council has the right to choose the date and the venue for the state delegate conference, was contravened by the people ably led by the National President, NULGE, Comrade Ambali Olatunji, who came to conduct the election.
‘The Anambra State executive council chose 30th November…
‘I wrote a petition with some of the state officers that were with Chikwelu Adigwe.
‘Therefore, the National President invited us to Enugu; after looking at the petition, he now shifted the date to 7th December.
‘However, this date wasn’t agreed nor ratified by the state executive council, notwithstanding that a petition was written against Adigwe on his financial irregularities with evidence.
‘He scammed the workers, especially the cooperative society where over 1,000 workers paid N1,000 each for them to have more money in their coffers, but today nothing came out of it.
‘There are many other financial irregularities leveled against Adigwe.
‘He collected 8 million Naira loan from Ndiora Microfinance Bank, Awka, with the name of NULGE, Anambra State; he collected another 8 million Naira in collaboration with Uzoma Anyaku from Anaocha Local Government NULGE branch; he collected 6.5 million with one Obinna Ezeonye of Njikoka Local Government branch. The evidence is there.
‘In our constitution, as a state chapter officer, you will never take a loan without the approval of the national.
‘On that note, Adigwe and his cohorts were given queries which expired last week.
‘Then, how can somebody answer a query of such magnitude of financial fraud as of those of Adigwe without a panel that will investigate the
allegations leveled against him before he begins to conduct election?
‘When I saw all these, I know that so many things had gone beyond what we see normally.
‘So, that is why I came on the floor of the state executive council under business session to stage that walkout.
‘Our electoral guideline also said that any person who has a financial irregularity and fraud leveled against him should not be allowed to participate in elections.
‘Let me tell you, Chikwelu Adigwe is not supposed to participate in this election.
‘He did not pick a form for this election. I’m the only candidate; let him come out to prove that he picked a form for this election.
‘I don’t see the reason why Chikwelu Adigwe not picking a form, all petitions against him, and state executive council not ratifying the date and the venue of the election will be thrown to the dustbin, and Chikwelu Adigwe allowed to conduct an election. Or has he bought over our constitution, bought over the national body, or bought over everybody in the NULGE system?
‘Therefore, I categorically maintain that this election is illegal unless they prove me wrong,’ Muo insisted.
On whether he would challenge the outcome of the conference in a court of competent jurisdiction, Muo said he would consult his legal adviser before deciding on his next line of action.
He, however, thanked his supporters for standing by him.
The labour unionist appealed to the state government to bring down a payroll system to local government areas to enable the workers to verify without much stress any shortchange against them.
He stressed what he described as the dire need for full employment of the national minimum wage for local government workers and employment of more workforce for local governments in the state.
