From Fred Itua, Abuja
Director-General of Princewill Ugochukwu Amuchie Campaign Organisation, Anayo Aham, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to return to the collation centre, following an alleged invasion of the venue by armed thugs.
Amuchie, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Aboh Mbaise State Constituency, reportedly won in the 12 wards of the State Assembly.
According to a statement made available to newsmen by the campaign office, “On March 18, 2023, the election at Aboh Mbaise was conducted peacefully throughout the Twelve (12) Wards and our people freely and collectively gave Princewill Ugochukwu Amuchie of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) their mandate.
“By 5pm, at the close of the election activities, about Eighty Percent (80%) of the results had been uploaded on the IREV by the Presiding Officers from their various duty posts (Polling Units), in line with the Electoral Act 2022, as amended.
“Instructively, the uploaded results tally with the number of accredited voters as captured by the BVAS and had been entered appropriately into all the Form EC 8 Series.
“Afterwards, with sense of fulfillment and achievement, our Party agents’ joyously accompanied the results to the INEC office in Aboh Mbaise, where Mr. Godfrey Okocha, the Electoral Officer had chosen as the Collation Center for the Wards and Local Government collation.
“Shortly, SP. Shaba arrived INEC office Aboh Mbaise, where the collation was taking place, with about 15 Hilux Vans and 3 Armored Personnel Carriers (APC), loaded with fierce looking military men and police officers.
“Shaba’s troupes shot into the air and all INEC staff, including those collating results and Party agents scampered for safety; paving way for the hoodlums to hijack the electoral materials. They took it to an unknown destination. This happened around 2:00 am on March 19, 2023.
“At about 2:00pm, we heard the results over the radio that Eddie Obinna had won. We wish to call the attention of the discerning public to these pertinent questions.
“Where are the copies of the Ward results, which should be in the custody of the Ward Collation Officers?
Where is the copy of the result of the LGA RACTECH? Where are the copies of the results of the custody of the Supervisory Presiding Officers? Where did the Returning Officer declare Eddie Obinna as the winner of the election? Was it done in the Radio Station? Where are the glamorous pictures and videos that often accompany such gorgeous events?
“How many Party agents witnessed this purported declaration as provided by the law?
Why was Hon. Mike Iheanetu, the PDP agent bundled out of the Collation Center like a common criminal?
“Pertinently, it should be noted that by the time SP. Shaba and his men came to the INEC office, out of 12 Wards in Aboh Mbaise the results of five wards had been declared remaining about seven; and Amuchie was leading CLEARLY.
“Apparently, if Eddie Obinna of the APC was leading, agents of the State wouldn’t have obstructed a process that was favouring their candidate. Please, we did love the discerning minds to take this into cognizance.
“Also out of the Two Hundred and Eight Polling Units (208), where elections were conducted, results of One Hundred and Eighty Three Polling Units (183) had been uploaded in the IREV and viewed by the public.
“Curiously, some of the Polling Unit results that were manufactured by SP Shaba and his cronies do not conform to what had already been uploaded in the IREV.
“Unarguably, it is the remaining Twenty Five (25) Polling Units that results had not been collated that they doctored in favour of Eddie Obinna.
“Worrisomely, since this incident, we have made several attempts to get in touch with the INEC staff at Aboh Mbaise Headquarters, so that we can have a copy of the so-called ‘declared’ results, to no avail.
“They have all switched their phones. This is because there is no result to show, except the ones in our custody. The cooked results CANNOT FLY.
“However, we are compelled to ask, is it that the INEC staffs are TRULY terrified and traumatized; or, are they in connivance with the hit-and-run gang that carted away with INEC materials, which is deemed government property?
“The Aboh Mbaise invasion of INEC office is equivalent to the abduction of electoral officials of the Commission at Ideato North, which led to the election been rescheduled.
“We believe that the Commission took such decision on Ideato North to restore the dignity and self-esteem of their staff, and by so doing, preserve the image of the Commission, by extension.
“There are abundant and abounding evidences which shows that Princewill Amuchie won this election. There is every need for INEC to ensure that peoples’ mandate is not STOLEN. The result available to us indicate that Princewill Amuchie won his closest rival, Hon. Eddie Obinna in Eleven Wards (11) out of the Twelve Wards (12) that make up Aboh Mbaise.”