Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki
A Foreign Observer Group, Pan African Women Projects, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review and cancel results of the concluded governorship and state House of Assembly elections in Ebonyi State, where the poll was marred by violence and other irregularities.
Briefing newsmen in Abakaliki, Head of the Foreign Mission, Lutheria Hanson, alleged that the elections failed to meet up with the expectations of the people of the state as there were reported cases of harassment, intimidation and manipulation of results.
She lamented that one of their members, Lawrence Onwe, was beaten in Ishingbo in Ohaukwu local guy area by political thugs.
“The gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections held on March 18, 2023, failed to meet up the expectations of the good people of Ebonyi State and Nigeria in general as there were cases of harassment and intimidation of the electorate and doctoring of results.
“We plead with the electoral body to review the election results and outcomes in most of the areas with electoral infractions, thus, cancelling results of extremely violent areas; places where voting didn’t take place and yet results were produced and possibly conduct a rerun to show transparency and equity according to international best practices.
“In Ohaukwu Local Government Area, there were reported cases of vote buying and physical harassment of PDP and APGA agents by thugs at Wigbeke 11. One of our observers, Lawrence Onwe was beaten in Ishingbo 1, PU 001, 002, 004 by thugs,” she said.
The foreign observer group, however, noted that though that there was voter apathy in the state during the governorship election, the Bimodal Voters Accredited System (BVAS) recorded some improvement, which was better than the presidential election.
