The Abia State chapter of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has called on the State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Joseph Iloh, to announce and declare the results and winner of February 23 Aba North/Aba South Federal constituency seat elections.
The chairman of IPAC, in the state, Reverend Augustine Ehiemere, who made the call in a statement issued to newsmen in Umuahia, the state capital on Thursday, expressed displeasure at the withholding of election results in Abia South Senatorial Zone and Aba North and South Federal Constituency.
The council said, “We expect Abia INEC to remain neutral in all their dealings in order not to truncate the wishes of the people of Abia before, during and after election”.
According to the statement,”We are appalled by INEC’s position on a petition purportedly written by Bar. Uzor Azubuike of PDP to withhold results collated, signed and copies given to party agents, security agencies, even when there was no court injunction restraining INEC from announcing and declaring these results.
“The two units in Aba South and North, INEC in collaboration with the PDP are strategizing ways of expanding the two [2] units to 85 units in Aba North and South to favour Barr Uzor Azubuike, the candidate of PDP.
“IPAC has uncovered a grand plan by Uzor Azubuike in collaboration with INEC officials to distribute uncollected PVC’s illegally acquired for the purported rerun. We are also aware of the grand plans by Abia State INEC REC and EOS to remove ward collection centers to Local Govt. Areas to enable them achieve their aim of favoring their preferred party.
“The purposed rerun of the election of Aba North and South Federal Constituency was shielded in secrecy from other political parties but was revealed to the People’s Democratic Party [PDP].
“INEC calls for a rerun is allien to Abians and to IPAC, because elections were already concluded, results sheets signed by Party Agents, including PDP agents, observers and security agents. IPAC is aware that the only basis for a rerun to take place is only when there is incidence of irregularities, ballot boxes snatching, natural disasters which is not obtainable in the case of Aba North and South Federal Constituency.
“IPAC has equally discovered that REC, Abia state has decided to favor the unpopular candidate of the PDP, Hon Uzor Azubuike by calling for a rerun of already concluded elections. We are therefore bringing the general public, the notice of these abnormally that may truncate the will of the people.
“It’s on record that the final result of the election was captured in the INEC form EC 8 D[II] and was signed by the agents of the participating political parties who received duplicate original copies, to wit, Hon. Prestige Ossy [APGA] 15,040, Hon. Uzor Azubuike [PDP] 9,556, Mascot Uzor Kalu [APC]”.
Meanwhile, the INEC has urged candidates that participated in the last Saturday’s National Assembly elections and had complaints, to officially file petition to the commission for review, rather than accusing the electoral umpire of exhibiting bias during the polls.
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