Abia PDP Denies INEC Claims Of Attack In Obingwa

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abia State, yesterday denied that the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Obingwa local government area of the state was attacked by thugs.

The party’s agent-in-chief for last Saturday’s governorship election in the state, Barrister Charles Eseonu stated this in a statement issued while reacting to the claim by the commission.

Eseonu said the claim was made yesterday in a statement by the national commissioner and chairman, information and voter education committee of the commission, Barrister Festus Okoye.

“Earlier today, the commission alerted the nation to the invasion of our Obingwa local government area office in Abia State by thugs during the collation of results for the governorship and state Assembly elections.

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“In contention was the collated result from the Registration Areas for the governorship election in that local government area. The intention was to force the collation of these contentious results. The behaviour of these thugs is unacceptable and there will be a thorough review of the results.

“The commission does not take the patience of citizens for granted and will continue to take steps to protect the integrity of the vote and consolidate the progress so far in the electoral process.”

Eseonu said while they found such claims strange, they wished to set the records straight and state that there was no recorded act of violence in the area before, during and after the election.

“That party agents at Obingwa collation centre only ensured that INEC’s directive that results must be announced at units, collated at ward then local government levels and result sheets issued to agents be complied with.

“We were shocked that INEC is attempting to bypass her own recommended process and even falsely released a statement to members of the public to achieve that.

“Youths of Obingwa should rather be commended for insisting that INEC followed her own guideline as previously stated by Barr Festus Okoye and other national officials,” he said.