The Abia State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is expressing disappointment and concern regarding the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to review the collation of Obingwa LGA’s result, which has already gone through the unit, ward, and local government collation processes. INEC cited that its office in Obingwa LGA was invaded by thugs on Sunday, March 19, 2023, and its officials were held hostage in relation to the collation of results from the Local Government Area. Abia PDP Rejects Poll Results, Calls For Inclusion of Obingwa Results, continue reading.
However, the PDP raises several issues in response to this decision, in response to INEC’s delay in scrutinizing the BVAS machines that were used to conduct elections in Obingwa, the Party thereby states that:
- Reports have surfaced of INEC officials allegedly being held hostage in Ohafia LGA, Umuahia South, and Umuahia North, yet INEC accepted results from those LGAs.
- Obingwa is the only LGA where polling agents insisted on full compliance with INEC’s guidelines of announcing results at the unit and collating at wards so that polling agents can have copies before submission to the State collation office.
- The PDP is not aware of any report by security agencies in the state, including Nigerian Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), indicating violence in Obingwa LGA before, during, and after the election of March 18th, 2023.
- The PDP has raised complaints about results that were changed at INEC office Umuahia, contrary to INEC procedures, with particular reference to Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Osisioma, Aba North, Aba South, and Arochukwu, without any action taken by INEC. Abia PDP Rejects Poll Results, Calls For Inclusion of Obingwa Results, continue reading.
- The PDP suspects that this review is another attempt to subvert the 2022 electoral guidelines published by INEC in the state, as in the case of the Presidential election, where PDP and other parties made similar calls for review without acceptance by INEC, which simply asked them to “go to court.”
Therefore, the PDP calls on INEC to immediately accept and announce Obingwa LGA’s result as collated from units through the wards, using the same guidelines and rules applied during the 2023 presidential election. Abia PDP Rejects Poll Results, Calls For Inclusion of Obingwa Results, continue reading.
Read More:17 Feared Dead Across the Country Over voter Violence and Thuggery
Meanwhile, INEC has suspended the further collation of governorship election results in some parts of Abia and Enugu states. INEC’s office in Obingwa Local Government Area in Abia State was invaded by thugs on Sunday, March 19, 2023, and its officials were held hostage in relation to the collation of results from the Local Government Area. Similarly, reports from Enugu State called for a review of the results of the governorship election from the two outstanding Local Government Areas of Nsukka and Nkanu East. The Commission will review the entire process before concluding it. INEC appeals for the understanding and patience of voters, parties, and candidates in the affected states.
