IS INEC COMPROMISED IN ABIA?
Opinion

IS INEC COMPROMISED IN ABIA?

The ongoing collation of results of last Saturday’s election has raised a number of issues that should naturally arouse the curiosity of the average Nigerian.

Why is there so much obsession by INEC on Obingwa LGA to the exclusion of other Local Government Areas in Abia State?

First, INEC claimed yesterday that thugs attacked their office in Obingwa. That is a clear lie. No such incident took place there yesterday. The Abia State Commissioner of Police was present at Obingwa yesterday for hours, together with several heads of Security Agencies.

The issue was a legitimate demand by party agents of the PDP that results must, in accordance with the law, be declared at the local government before moving to Umuahia.

Out of the 17 Local Government Areas in Abia State, it was only in Obingwa that the Electoral Officer insisted that he would take results to Umuahia for declaration. All the other 16 LGA results were declared at the local government headquarters. So, the question is why is Obingwa getting a different treatment?

Secondly, collation of results from other local governments are moving on without any hitches, even with a petition in writing by the PDP challenging results from Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Aba South, Aba North, Arochukwu, Bende, and other Local Government Areas.

This petition which was duly submitted to the State Resident Electoral Commissioner was ignored and results from these local government areas collated. There were no BVAS checks, nothing. They just went in with ease, even with clear evidences of electoral malpractices across these local government areas.

Thirdly, INEC initially wanted to reject results from Isiala Ngwa North LGA yesterday for no justifiable reason. It took several moments of arguments before it was eventually collated. Isiala Ngwa North LGA is the home local government of the PDP Gubernatorial Candidate, Chief Okey Ahiwe.

Today, Obingwa LGA has been in focus for all the wrong reasons. The INEC headquarters released a statement where it made Obingwa the focus of their complaints. Meanwhile, there is a pending petition by the PDP against the results of several other local governments. INEC has refused to act on this petition nor even formally countenance it.

The latest information now is that INEC is going to review BVAS in Obingwa LGA. Meanwhile there is a corresponding demand to review BVAS records in some other local governments where the Labor Party clearly engaged in acts of electoral malpractice.

Finally, INEC needs to explain to Nigerians the relationship between the State Returning Officer, Professor Nnenna Otti and the Labor Party Candidate, Alex Otti. Could there be a case of Conflict of Interest on her part?

Why is she ignoring legitimate complaints from the PDP and is unduly fixated on areas that are the natural strongholds of the PDP?

INEC MUST ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS

CONCERNED ABIANS FOR JUSTICE

Kindly Leave a Comment