Protests Rock Ebonyi Over Alleged Manipulation Of Election Results

Hundreds of supporters of the Labour Party (LP) in Ebonyi State yesterday stormed the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abakaliki, to protest what they described as irregularities, manipulation of election results and connivance of the commission’s officials to tamper with the votes from Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

The protesters who stormed the commission’s office at about 2:45pm carried placards with inscriptions such as, “INEC count our votes; Stop manipulating the election results; Labour Party had landslide victory, some INEC Officials have compromised”, amongst others.

The protesters, mainly youths, expressed regret that 48 hours after the election in the state, the commission was yet to upload or declare the result adding that the aim is to create room for further manipulation.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP, the House of Representatives candidate of the party for Abakaliki/Izzi federal constituency maintained that the party won the election in various parts of the constituency.

In an interview with journalists at the commission’s office in Abakaliki, the Labour Party Senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South zone, Hon Linus Okorie alleged that over 15,000 voters in Onicha and other local government areas in Ebonyi South were prevented from voting following political violence masterminded by the APC.

Hon Okorie alleged that political thugs invaded some polling units in the area, burnt the election materials including ballot papers and boxes shortly after the election and called on the commission to cancel the result and use the BVAs to ascertain the authentic result in the zone.

Similarly, hundreds of protesters also stormed the Ebonyi Central senatorial district collation office, Onueke to protest alleged plot by the INEC returning officer to rig the election in favour of the APC.

The protesters accused the member representing, Ikwo/Ezza South federal constituency, Hon Chinedu Ogah of influencing the result of Ikwo local government and called on the commission to immediately cancel the election result in the area.

Meanwhile, former governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Sam Egwu, has described the election process and the collation of results in the state as a sham, adding that the use of BVAs was not adhered to.

“People were voting as if we are still in the period where you just collect a sheet of paper and start writing and after you give it to INEC to record. How can that be? INEC was still collating results and someone goes on to announce it when the collation hasn’t been completed.

“Even the REC has ordered that that should stop. That is to show you the level of impunity going on., results are being manipulated, a lot of money is passing hands and their instruction is, give us this number, upload it and then we go to court.

“INEC has assured us that the results would be verified. The electoral act says that we must vote by the use of BVAs but they have thrown away the BVAs. Many polling booths didn’t use the BVAS, they just collected figures, it is the allocation that we are seeing in Ebonyi State.

“Our prayers here are simply to cancel whatever result and depend on the BVAS. The results generated by the BVAs should be used,” he said.

Reacting, the resident electoral commissioner (REC), Mrs Pauline Ugochi, said the commission would verify all the results brought before it and ordered the arrest of any local government area collation officer who does not turn in his or her polling unit result.