Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
The governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for declaring the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA), Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe as the winner of the Abia South senatorial poll.
INEC had initially declared the Abia South senatorial election held on February 25, 2023 inconclusive but allegedly, later declared the results on Tuesday, at the Constitution Crescent Primary School, Aba.
The returning officer, Prof. Georgina Ugwuanyi, had said Abaribe, the incumbent Abia South Senator scored 49,692 while the Labour Party candidate, Chinedu Onyeizu took the second position with 43,903 votes.
According to the returning officer, Ikpeazu came a distant third after scoring 28,422 votes.
But the Abia State Governor, who spoke through the PDP senatorial collation agent, Charles Esonu, described the declared poll result as “a charade and brazen display of partiality”.
Ikpeazu expressed shock that INEC which had earlier confirmed that elections were not conducted in 108 polling units in Obingwa, Aba South and Abia North local governments, still went ahead to award victory despite protests from party agents.
He said the 108 polling units where election did not hold have total voting population of over 200, 000 which is more than the votes scored by the parties.
According to him, over 50,000 supporters of the PDP could not cast their votes due to the non-provision and late arrival of electoral materials in most of the polling units in the six local governments of the constituency.
Ikpeazu further alleged that the PDP agents vehemently complained over, “the manipulation of election results and bypass of BIVAS,” but were ignored by INEC officials.
He stated that his camp was unaware of the results of the five local governments used in declaring the result, otherwise, “we would have been able to scrutinise what they brought in.”
Ikpeazu added: “There were several mutilations on the result from Aba South Local Government. They also cancelled many units in Aba South, while elections could not be held in the 108 polling units in 13 electoral wards of Aba South, Aba North and Obingwa LGAs due to non-provision and late arrival of electoral materials.”
Describing INEC’s action as, “irrational, biased and undemocratic,” Ikpeazu demanded an urgent nullification of the poll result for Abia South Senatorial District and declaration of a winner.
