Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senators representing Ebonyi North and Ebonyi South senatorial zones, Dr. Sam Egwu and Micheal Nnachi, along with the PDP senatorial candidate for Ebonyi Central, Hon. Lazarus Ogbe, called for the cancellation of Saturday’s election in the state on Monday. They were joined in this demand by Hon. Linus Okorie, the Labour Party senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South. The group accused the National Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of overseeing an election marred by irregularities and various forms of electoral manipulation. They made their statements during a joint press conference held at the INEC Headquarters in Abakaliki.
Dr. Egwu, a former governor of Ebonyi State, alleged that the state government had influenced the electoral process, depriving voters of their fundamental rights. He stated, “The truth of the matter is that what has happened in Ebonyi State regarding this election is a sham. The use of BVAS was not adhered to; people are just voting as if we are still in the old period where you simply collect a sheet of paper, write numbers, and pass it on to INEC officials. That’s just what has happened.” He further urged that the results produced by what he termed “fraudulent INEC staff” should be canceled, advocating for the use of BVAS-generated results instead. “We are challenging these results,” he added.
Similarly, Hon. Okorie called for the suspension of the election results, citing the need for compliance with the electoral act. He claimed that Governor David Umahi was desperate, fearing political repercussions if he lost the election. Okorie requested, “I call for the suspension of the return of the senatorial election conducted in the district on February 25, 2023, pending the conduct of elections in areas where voting did not occur or was undermined, in accordance with the provisions of the electoral act 2022.” He emphasized the importance of re-collating polling unit results across the five local government areas of the senatorial district before any final results are declared.
Senator Nnachi, representing the Ebonyi South Zone and also a PDP candidate, accused Governor Umahi of undermining the electoral process through treachery. He remarked, “Of course, all of you know I’m the Senator representing the Ebonyi South Zone. What Dr. Egwu and the other senatorial candidates have said is exactly right, and it’s a shame on this government. Umahi never came close to me in the election; he resorted to using thugs to manipulate the voting process.” Nnachi described incidents of violence and intimidation by thugs, which he claimed invalidated legitimate results and allowed for the forgery of new ones. “This is the height of impunity and irregularity in any electoral process. We won’t allow it,” he asserted.
Hon. Ogbe provided a slightly different perspective, noting that the computation of results in Ebonyi Central had not been completed. However, he echoed concerns about widespread electoral malpractice throughout the state. “There is rigging everywhere, and it’s the height of it,” he stated. He highlighted discrepancies in the results, particularly in Ikwo LGA, where he claimed that figures were being manipulated over the past 24 hours. “Unfortunately, what is coming out from the wards or polling units does not tally with what has been brought to the INEC collation center,” he concluded.
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