From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State chapter of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has tackled the Independent National Electorial Commission (INEC) over the Electoral umpire’s decision on the contentious Obingwa Local Government Governorship election result.
Thugs were alleged to have invaded and attacked the INEC office during the collation of results for the Governorship and State Assembly elections of March 18, 2023.
Reacting to the incident, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information And Voter Education Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye said what happened at Obingwa local government area “is unacceptable and there will be a thorough review of the results in that area.”
Okoye noted that the commission had earlier “alerted the nation of the invasion of our Obingwa Local Government Area office in Abia State by thugs during the collation of results for the Governorship and State Assembly elections. In contention was the collated result from the Registration Areas for the Governorship election in that Local Government Area. The intention was to force the collation of these contentious results.”
However, Abia PDP in a statement signed by Charles Eseonu, its
Agent for the Governorship Election said the party finds the claims by INEC strange.
The statement read in part, “While we find such claims strange, we wish to set the records straight and state as follows:
“That there was no recorded act of violence in Obingwa LGA of Abia State before, during and after the election of March 18, 2023.
“That Party agents at Obingwa collation centre only ensured that INEC’s directive that results must be announced at units, collated at ward then local government levels and result sheets issued to agents be complied with.
“We were shocked that INEC is attempting to bypass her own recommended process and even falsely released a statement to members of the public to achieve that.
“Youths of Obingwa should rather be commended for insisting that INEC followed her own guideline as previously stated by Barr Festus Okoye and other national officials.
The statement implored INEC to do the right thing by not raising false alarm but to announce the results as collated in Obingwa.
Meanwhile, 16 local government results out of 17 LGAs in Abia State have been collated. Alex Otti of the Labour Party won in 10 LGA’s PDP’s Okey Ahiwe won in 5, while Nnanna Nwafor of Young People’s Party (YPP), won in 1.
The remaining Local Government is Obingwa which was suspended.