No attempt to manipulate Abia governorship election results – INEC

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that there is no attempt by it to manipulate results of the Saturday, March 18 governorship elections conducted in Abia State.

The commission also denied that its National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is working in collusion with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to upturn the outcome of the poll, saying he ‘never called the Abia Returning Officer to give her a directive.’

Making the clarification, Tuesday, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the only communication sent to the Abia State Returning Officer was the commission’s advice on the decision to suspend collation of results.

“The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu never called the Returning Officer to give her a directive. Rather, the Returning Officer wanted the official communication on the Commission’s decision to suspend the collation of results in Abia State.

The Chairman then directed that pending the delivery of the hard copies, the soft copies of the Commission’s letter be forwarded immediately to the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Enugu State and the Administrative Secretary of Abia State.

“The Returning Officer for Abia State then directed that the contents of the letter be read aloud by the Administrative Secretary in the presence of agents of political parties, observers, the media and security personnel at the Collation Centre.

“This is what is now being mischievously interpreted as a directive to the Returning Officer on some phantom criteria at variance with the approved guidelines. There is nothing like that.

“In fact, the content of the letter is basically the same as the Commission’s Press Release dated Monday 20th March 2023 which has since been uploaded to the Commission’s social media platforms and is already in the public domain. The public should disregard the story as fake news.”

INEC was responding to viral report which quoted the Abia State RO as claiming that the Chairman, Prof Yakubu ‘personally called her.’

According to the RO,  the chairman called her ‘and  gave her directives on guidelines to follow in ensuring that Abia governorship election results were collated based on some criteria but that on her own she has decided that the will of Abia voters would not be subverted under her watch.’

 “The INEC Presiding Officer In Abia State Nnenna Oti had this to say…’I’m Professor Nnenna Oti from Afikpo. I am the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, The people’s mandate shall stand.

“I have spent all my adult life in pursuit of the ideals of good governance. We shall stand by the these principles. The pastor in me (she is a Pastor with the RCCG) and the mother in me will not permit me to do anything that will adversely affect the future of our children. I shall do right by God and by man!’

“Then to the shock and surprise of everyone in the hall, she said that the INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, personally called her and gave her directives on guidelines to follow in ensuring that Abia governorship election results were collated based on some criteria but that on her own she has decided that the will of Abia voters would not be subverted under her watch.

“At that point, she asked the Administrative Secretary to read the message she said that came from the INEC headquarters Abuja,” the post by the INEC RO read.

There have been mounting calls on the INEC to declare the results of the Abia governorship election from the Labour Party and a community-based group in the state following decision by the commission, Monday, to and Tuesday to suspend further collation and relocate same to Abuja.

INEC first announced an attack on its collation office Obingwa local government area in the state, necessitating suspension of further collation, last Sunday and a shift to Monday. But on Monday, the commission moved al collation activities to Abuja.

The Labour Party maintains a healthy lead in the results so far collated, announced and uploaded to the commission’s IReV portal.

Meanwhile the Labour Party, alongside an indigenous group in Abia has frowned at the development playing out with announcement of elections results in Enugu and Abia states following the late decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend further collation of results.

Reacting to the development, Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, condemned the action of the INEC, while tasking with fast tracking the process so as to avert tension and anxiety among the people, as, according to him, further delay will question the commission’s intent and credibility of the election.

“Having carefully followed the unfolding events relating to the gubernatorial elections in the two states, let me categorically emphasize the imperative of releasing the gubernatorial election results of Abia and Enugu States immediately.

“I am aware that the Independent National Electoral Commission said they are reviewing the collation of the results in these two States. However, I would like to urge them to accelerate action on this, as their continued delay is questioning INEC’s intent and the credibility of the election,” Obi state in a statement by the Obi-Datti office.

He expressed disappointment that 48 hours after the elections were conducted, it is disheartening that the commission is yet to resolve whatever issues that are holding back the release of the results.

“The records of the elections from polling units should not be difficult to calculate if the electoral officials are committed to the integrity of the exercise in line with the stipulated guidelines.”

Also, a grassroots-based group in Abia, the League of Ohuhu Sons, claimed that the current confusion over the situation in the state is caused by INEC, insisting ‘the current stalemate is contrived.’

The group, in a statement signed by Barr. Chuks Akamadu (Convener) Chief Eboh Duke Ihekwereme (Chairman), H/Chief Victor Ikeji (Secretary), and Dr. Emeka Nwosu (Chair, Publicity Committee), urged INEC ‘to ensure that the expressed will of the people of Abia in this election is respected.’

“We understand that the INEC Headquarters in Abuja has reportedly directed that all the parties in Abia Governorship elections should proceed to Abuja this morning where the final decision on the outcome of the election would be taken. This development overrides the earlier decision in which the same INEC had directed some of its National Commissioners to come to Abia today to review the contentious and fictitious Obingwa results.

“It is important to note that results have been received from 16 out of the 17 Local Government Areas of Abia State, remaining Obingwa where the ruling PDP in Abia State is seeking to push through fictitious votes in its favour to illegally wipe the unassailable lead by Dr. Alex Otti of the Labour Party. Out of the results officially declared by INEC, PDP won only in 5 LGAs while the Labour Party won in 10 with YPP winning in one LGA. Our question is: Why is it taking INEC this long to take a simple decision of proclaiming Dr. Alex Otti winner after his overwhelming victories in all parts of Abia State?

“The current stalemate is contrived, and it is the bounden duty of INEC to ensure that the expressed will of the people of Abia in this election is respected. The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu and his team in Abuja should not do anything that would subvert the will of the people of Abia State. The mandate given to Dr. Otti must stand. Anything to the contrary should not be contemplated, at all. Otherwise, Abians may have no option but to take to the streets to stop PDP from stealing the mandate freely given to Dr. Otti.

“We therefore wish to task INEC to quickly do the needful by declaring Dr. Otti duly elected governor of Abia, God’s Own State to avoid the predictable consequences of the gathering cloud in the state,” the statement by the group read.