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Okey Sampson, Aba
Former Abia governor, Orji Uzor Kalu’s aide, Dr. Madukwe Ukaegbu, has berated Senator Mao Ohuabunwa over the uncomplimentary remarks he made about the February 23 senatorial poll in Abia North.
Dr. Ukaegbu said Ohuabunwa, the defeated Abia North candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, should be ashamed of himself for spreading falsehood about the election.
This was even as Ukaegbu, the former deputy chief of staff, Government House, Umuahia, asked Ohuabunwa to publicly apologise to the people of Abia North senatorial district, for deceiving them and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and for questioning its authority to announce the results of an election.
INEC had, after the Abia North senatorial election, declared Kalu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winner.
Ohuabunwa has since been making inflammatory statements, deceiving the people that Kalu was not declared winner, claiming instead that the election was inconclusive.
But, INEC, in Abia State, has dismissed Ohuabunwa’s statement and that there are no issues with the result of Abia North senatorial district.
INEC Public Relations Officer in the state, Bamidele Oyetunji, said: “The Commission has no problem with the result of the senatorial poll in Abia North. Where we had issues was Abia South, which has not been declared.”
Ukaegbu, who is also the APC senatorial chief returning agent for Abia North, debunked Ohuabunwa’s claim, and added that contrary to Ohuabunwa’s postulations, the INEC Returning Officer (RO), Dr. Anumudu, did not only announce the result, all party agents, including those of the PDP, signed the result and shook hands; in the spirit of sportsmanship.
Ukaegbu said it was the height of deceit and desperation for Ohuabunwa to claim the election was inconclusive when, in actual fact, his party agent signed and collected the result, as announced by the RO.
“One would not know why Ohuabunwa is making noise about rerun in an election he was defeated with over 10, 000 votes.
“In 2016, when they did their abracadabra and he (Ohuabunwa) won Kalu with a paltry 295 votes and the then RO declared the rerun inconclusive, as a result of cancellations in some polling units, due to violence, the senator and his masters went behind and induced INEC officials who made a U-turn and announced the result.”
Ukaegbu said despite the way the result was announced, Kalu never brought the heavens down; rather, as a democrat, he approached the court.
He advised Ohuabunwa to emulate Kalu and approach the courts if he is uncomfortable with the result declared; “instead of going about telling lies and deceiving the people.
“My advise to Mao is to accept defeat and congratulate the man who gallantly fought and won and apologise to Abia North people for deceiving them with fake news.
“He should equally apologise to INEC for questioning its authority to announce the result of the election.”
Ukaegbu said Abia North people have given their verdict; that Ohuabunwa has not represented them well in the last four years, “which was why they rejected him at the poll.”
He urged Ohuabunwa to accept his defeat in good faith.
