Transparent, accountable use of local government and contract funds — Martin Elechi

Total tracked

Kept

Partial / mixed

Broken

Kept

Partial / mixed

Broken

In progress

Governance

Secure a legally sound re-election mandate

Kept

The promise

Implicit in seeking re-election in 2011: hold a mandate that would withstand legal challenge.

Assessment

His 2011 re-election was challenged before the Ebonyi Election Tribunal, which ruled in his favour on 11 November 2011; the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, dismissed the subsequent appeal on 7 January 2012, affirming his victory.

Governance

Govern with the confidence of the state legislature and his own deputy

Broken

The promise

Implicit requirement to maintain a working relationship with the Assembly and his own deputy governor through to a smooth handover.

Assessment

The final months of the tenure were chaotic: the House of Assembly building was hit by arson in February 2015, and impeachment motions followed later that month over alleged gross misconduct and misappropriation of funds; Elechi also broke from an understanding with Deputy Governor David Umahi by backing a different candidate, Onyebuchi Chukwu, as his preferred successor.

Governance

Transparent, accountable use of local government and contract funds

Broken

The promise

Campaigned on accountable stewardship of Ebonyi's public funds.

Assessment

The EFCC questioned Elechi over an alleged asphalt-project fraud involving deductions from local government accounts across all 13 LGAs, and a separate $12 million contract awarded in 2012 to an American firm, Califco Group, for which the state paid a $10.8 million mobilisation fee before the project was abandoned; his son was separately investigated as the alleged face of a family company benefiting from unexecuted contracts.