CENTUS NWEZE ReportingÂ
The Abia South Senatorial Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Chinedu Onyeizu, has insisted Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) must conduct supplementary elections in about 108 polling units in the state where the election did not take place during February 25th Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The election of National Assembly, NASS for his Senatorial constituency had gone to Senator Abaribe Enyinnaya, the Candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
While initial projection hadn’t contradicted the outcome of INEC declared winner, but there had been doubt after hurricane effect of LP in the last election.
It wasn’t about individuals any longer but party and movement like Labour and OBIdient.
But Abaribe had emeged despite odds.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday Chinedu said the declaration of Abaribe as winner of inconclusive election in the senatorial district was not only a rape on democracy but also travesty and subversion of justice.
He insisted that he won the election as a candidate of the Labour Party before the Returning Officer, Prof. Gorginia Ugwuanyi went ahead to announce the winner after she had declared the election inconclusive.
He alleged that the Returning Officer was held under duress to declare the results adding that he has video evidence of what transpired.
Chinedu said the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has succeeded in disenfranchising over 40,000 registered voters in about 180 units in his stronghold.
He noted that there were disparities between the numbers collated in polling units and those announced at the collation centre of the senatorial district.
According to Onyeizu ” The INEC returning officer for the district, Georgina Ugwuanyi, initially declared the election inconclusive.
” What I experience on Saturday is a travesty of justice. We have a scenario where the electoral umpire who is known as the returning officer had come on air to declare the election inconclusive because over 108 polling units in my stronghold area did not experience any form of election.
“Electoral materials didn’t get to some places, while in some places voting happened but there was no result sheet to enter the result of the election.
” She had admitted that there was no election in 108 polling units and therefore she cannot go ahead and declare the winner. But after five hours she returned with over five trucks loaded with soldiers and mobile police to announce Abaribe as winner.
” The Returning Officer claimed that she got instruction from Abuja to return to collation centre and declare Abaribe as winner of an inconclusive election”
“I am rejecting those declarations as candidate and I am calling on INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu to do the right thing. There is no order that could come from Abuja that is above constitutional provision which is clear in the Electoral Act,” he said.