Citing widespread irregularities, killings, and wanton destruction of property during the April 11, 2015 Governorship and House of Assembly election in Ebonyi State, three political parties have petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) calling for the cancellation of the election.
In the petition jointly signed by Comrade Obiya Sabastine Friday, Hon. Ben Nwobashi and Comrade Jerry Obasi, State chairmen of Labour Party, All Progressives Congress, (APC) and All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) respectively, the three parties which took part in the election complained that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) connived with some INEC ad hoc staff and security agents to fraudulently falsify results after chasing their polling agents away from collation centres. The petition copy of which was sent to the Ebonyi State Resident Electoral Commissioner, (REC) was titled: “Appeal for Immediate Cancellation of Governorship/House of Assembly Election Results in Ebonyi Due to Murders, Terror, Fraud and Forgery”.
Part of the petition read: “We hereby forward this petition to request that you immediately conduct an in-depth investigation of large scale of fraud, manipulation, intimidation and falsification of results in the Governorship and House of Assembly election held on April 11, 2015. It is clear that the “results” were gotten through a criminal and fraudulent process”.
The chairmen recalled that during the March 28, 2015 National Assembly election in Ebonyi State was characterized by “a reign of evil, terror, fraud, killings and brigandage” recalling that they addressed a joint press conference and alerted the nation of “the unholy marriage between Ebonyi State chapter of PDP and the Ebonyi REC”.
They declared that the “so-called election every manner of fraudulent practices and terror were unleashed on Ebonyi people in order to produce a “result” that was later announced. This joint criminal activities of Ebonyi INEC and PDP included but not limited to outright killing of innocent people, printing of fake ballot papers, refusal of INEC to bring genuine result sheets to polling booths, non-provision of election materials till the closure of voting, swapping of election materials between different and distant wards, using security agents to ferry sensitive election materials to private residences”.
“At the private residences, ballot papers were thumb-printed and votes allocated votes with impunity. Interestingly, most ad hoc staff of INEC are fanatical card-carrying members of the PDP. Indeed, every of the above crimes were repeated in April 11, 2015 in addition to more horrifying terror, killings, brigandage, fraud and forgery.
“It is also public knowledge that several innocent people lost their lives during the election in the bid by PDP to snatch and divert election materials. In Ezza North, three persons were killed, a policeman and two members of the NYSC were critically wounded while virtually all election materials were diverted,” they added.
The petitioners contended that since the election resulted in the killing of three persons in Ikwo and Ishielu local government areas, it was immoral to go ahead to announce the results stressing that House of Assembly candidate in Afikpo South was arrested and held hostage as virtually all election materials were diverted while in Abakaliki local government one person was killed and over 25 others wounded through gunshots and stabbing.
“In the light of the foregoing, we pray you to immediately intervene and ensure that the right things are done. Essentially, we ask that you order the suspending further announcement of election results fraudulently generated. Additionally we pray that you conduct an independent investigation of these acts, study security reports from the State Security Services in the State so as to get a better grasp of the monumental fraud in the conduct of the elections. Consequently, it meets with your consideration, that a fresh election be conducted in Ebonyi State,” they prayed.
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