‘Our election is not easy to rig’- Nwokeoji, ANLCA President

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

“We came on the mantra of restoration. We want to restore ANLCA to its old self, so there are lots of interest that balancing them is not as easy as one would want to count one, two, three…”- Nwokeoji

The National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji  has waved aside with comic relief, the recent attempt to give tribal colouration to its fortcoming chapter election, following statements by a Lagos monarch pushing for ‘no vote for non Yoruba contestants.’

Nwokeoji in an exclusive interview with Pinnacle Time newspaper also explained the National Executive Committee’s (NECOM) response to the demand by the Western Zone for an extension in the election schedule, even as he declared that under whatever circumstances, the association’s elections are not easy to rig.

Looking back , the ANLCA leader said we came on the mantra of restoration. We want to restore ANLCA to its old self so there are lots of interest that balancing them is not as easy.

According to Nwokeoji, the call by a traditional ruler in Ijora Lagos for Yoruba members of ANLCA to vote only for Yoruba candidates was a twisted context of the true situation, noting that every tribe in politics at whatever level always express similar sentiments.

His words, “In every election in Nigeria you always have that atom of tribal leaning or sentiment. This is not the first time, even in our sharing of positions there are some tribal leanings or connotations whereby the chairman is from this tribe, you hardly see the vice chairman come from the same tribe.  That is one…the one that l read, we are trying to investigate…I think it was the reaction to something that happened somewhere, and the man took his own to a different level.”

Pressed for explanation, he said, “Some people met…Yorubas and Igbos met somewhere and because of the ‘harmonization’ which is normal in every election,  somebody made a statement that somebody should step down and support the person from this other tribe, because it is their turn to produce a chairman at this time. So the person that was asked to step down did not take it in good faith and he now felt you have used your own influential people to prevail on me, now that I have my own influential people too (laughing) eh, so that was what happened.”

Apparently a detribalized, level headed leader, Nwokeoji said ANLCA members should not take the matter to heart as the man who expressed the sentiments has no voting power.

“The good thing about ANLCA election is, you can report anything but it is difficult for you to report about rigging, our election is not easy to rig. It’s an open thing, you can report anything, you can report violence, you can report exchange of bad words but when it comes to election proper, I can’t remember when last anybody would say… no election is 100percent perfect, not even in America, but you won’t talk about open or wholesale rigging. So when we present the people, even if you interview some people, so many people from across the tribes are not happy with that statement…the fact that ANLCA election has gotten to such public display of tribalism.

“But he made the statement from what I read…I don’t know him and I don’t think he’s a member ANLCA, the level of his influence over what we do is what l don’t think is significant. So it’s our members that will determine who their leaders should be in all the chapters. So my reaction is that being an outsider, he is entitled to his opinion.”

On how the ZECOM resolved the issue of election date extension, he said it is ASECO (Association Electoral Commission) that makes the rules, noting however that the right mechanism has been applied and that it is no longer an issue.

“Chapter election, extension of time is normal in every election and it is very normal in our association for such demand, this time it is coming from the western zone. They requested and we looked at it…like l keep repeating, we came at a critical period, we came on the mantra of restoration. We want to restore ANLCA to its old self so there are lots of interest that balancing them is not as easy as one would count one, two, three. We thank God He’s been very helpful to us.

“So we listen… remember, even with the appointment of ASECO, they raised issues, we adjusted it when they came up with the need; we said okay.

If you’re asking for extra time in a football match, it’s not going to favour only one team, as you are playing, the other team is playing. So if you think it’s going to give you any advantage, you may be wrong, because you wouldn’t know…there may have been some loose ends that this man…time did not allow you to tide it up, the extra time will help him to tighten up. So we granted it, I think it’s either for the benefit or disadvantage of all the parties involved.”

On when the election is holding, he said, “The election timetable is there as published by ASECO maybe you should talk to them. It is starting from the end of this month, rolling up to third week of February in all the three zones: north, east and west.”

Asked if he thinks that the zonal election arrangement is sacrosanct and whether there could be udden adjustments or changes is the date, he said he believes that the election schedule as announced by ASECO is unchangeable.

“No, the zonal agreement has always favoured a staggered exercise; you can’t do election of Onne in Lagos, zonal arrangement has always been there.  One, we want to take the election closer to the electorate, let them come out and vote for people of their choices. You can’t start asking them to start coming to Lagos, somebody that want to vote a chairman in Onne, you ask them to start coming to Lagos or vice versa, it makes no sense.”