By-election: C’River PDP candidate rejects results

From Fred Itua, Abuja

Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Ogoja/ Yala House of Representatives by-election, Mike Usibe, has formally rejected last Saturday’s results of the election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He alleged that the exercise was marred by violent killings, thuggery and unprecedented electoral fraud, allegedly perpetuated by security Agencies and INEC staff.

Usibe in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday, vowed to challenge the outcome of the election in court, even as he accused security operatives loyal to APC of shooting innocent electorates during the election.

He said: “We have bullet shells. Those wounded and photographs of APC sponsored agents snaching ballot boxes and tampering with ballot papers and result sheets.”

According to him, “arising from the Ogoja/Yala Federal constituency by-election, which took place on Saturday, 26th February,2022, there are fundamental issues that can not be glossed over, in the interest of the electoral process, the good people of the ogoja/yala Federal Constituency and posterity.

“First, the people came out and voted massively for their party of choice, Peoples DemocraticParty(PDP) and outrightly rejected Gov Ayade and the All Progressives Congress(APC).The PDP clearly won the election.

“Second, the Governor, realising that the APC had lost, ordered a mixed group of security forces and cultists led by his Aide de Camp( ADC) and Chief Security Officer(CSO) to unleash on the electoral process, unprecedented violence. This vicious group of marauders, ultimately held INEC officials hostage,forcing them to post false results in favour of the APC.

“In the light of the foregoing, I hereby state clearly that I am the authentic winner of the by-election and should have been so declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“This old-fashioned electoral fraud will be appropriately redressed within the confines of the law. I thank the good people of Ogoja/Yala and all my supporters for giving me their mandate, which by the grace of God is still intact.”