Ohanaeze decries electoral tussle in Enugu, Abia States
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide youth wing, has decried the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC over its inability to bring to a conclusive end the Gubernatorial elections for Enugu and Abia States respectively, and to declare the official results.
In a press release they made available to our correspondent in Umuahia, and signed by Chika Art Adiele, the National Publicity Secretary, the youths said “It is indeed unfortunate that Prof Mahmood Yakubu, despite the monumental funds appropriated to conduct an election devoid of unnecessary complications, has toed the path of infamy in the execution of the process”.
INEC, they said based its decision to suspend the collation of results in Abia and Enugu states on grounds that in reality, “it appears to be aimed at nothing short of the outright subversion of the will of majority of voters in both local governments”.
“In the case of Enugu State, the elections in Nkanu East and Nsukka had already been collated by the Returning Officers, and should have been summed up immediately, and followed by a declaration of the results and the returned candidate.
“Then the question – Why hesitate to announce already collated results?
“Obingwa LGA, is an interesting twist. INEC, seems to be willing to subvert and tactically bypass her own rules in the case of Obingwa, which saddled the Local Government EOs to “Compulsory” announce results as collated from the polling unit, to ward level and finally to Local Government for onward dispatch to Umuahia, the State Capital.
“We therefore demand the immediate announcement of Obingwa LGA result as collated by the different layers of electoral units and subsequently declare the winner,”the youths said.
They warned, “It is pertinent to note that failure to announce these results, within 24hrs, will be viewed as an obvious sign to further disintegrate Ndi Ndigbo”, adding “It is a dangerous adventure by INEC.”
