C’River By-election: PDP Candidate, Usibe, Rejects Results

Udora Orizu

Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency Cross River State, House of Representatives by-election, Mike Usibe, has rejected the results of the election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that the exercise was marred by killings, thuggery and unprecedented electoral fraud perpetuated by security agencies.

The All Progressives Congress had on Saturday won the by-election. The APC candidate, Jude Ngaji, polled 22,778 votes to defeat PDP’s Mike Usibe, who scored 20,590 votes.

But, Usibe in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, Monday vowed to challenge the outcome of the election in court even as he accused the security operatives loyal to APC of shooting innocent electorate during the election.

According to him, “Arising from the Ogoja/Yala Federal constituency by-election, which took place on Saturday, 26th February, 2022, there are fundamental issues that can not be glossed over, in the interest of the electoral process, the good people of the ogoja/yala Federal Constituency and posterity. First, the people came out and voted massively for their party of choice, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and outrightly rejected Gov Ayade and the All Progressives Congress(APC). The PDP clearly won the election.

“Secondly, the Governor, realizing that the APC had lost, ordered a mixed group of security forces and cultists led by his Aide de Camp (ADC) and Chief Security Officer(CSO) to unleash on the electoral process, unprecedented violence. This vicious group of marauders, ultimately held INEC officials hostage,forcing them to post false results in favour of the APC. In the light of the foregoing, I hereby state clearly that I am the authentic winner of the by-election and should have been so declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). I thank the good people of Ogoja/Yala and all my supporters for giving me their mandate, which by the grace of God is still intact.”