The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been called upon to immediately declare the winner of Ahiazu Mbaise State constituency election in Imo State in order to calm down frayed nerves.
The election was held on Saturday, March 18, 2023 during the State Assembly elections held nationwide.
Accord Party candidate in the Ahiazu Mbaise State constituency election, Bruno Onuoha, made the call during a press briefing in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
According to him, the IReV Portal clearly shows the collated results before the exercise was declared inconclusive by INEC, adding that the Commission should declare the candidate with the highest number of votes as the winner.
Onuoha charged the Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Sylvia Agu, to unmask the reasons why the Ahiazu Mbaise Electoral Officer, Mr Uche Asagwara, unilaterally changed the assigned Returning Officer for the election.
He said, “I call on the Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner to immediately question and get answers from the Ahiazu Mbaise Electoral Officer, Mr Uche Asagwara, on the reason for his unilateral replacement of the assigned Returning Officer (R.O) for the Ahiazu Mbaise State constituency election on March 18, 2023, and his unlawful declaration that the March 18 Ahiazu State constituency election was inconclusive as against and without recourse to the uploaded results of the polling units election results on INEC I-REV.”
Further, Onuoha queried the reasons why INEC Electoral Officer, Asagwara, included “polling units where elections were held, results declared, duplicate result sheets issued to party agents, and results uploaded and available on INEC I-REV for his pronounced supplementary elections.”
Onuoha added: “The commissions and omissions of the Electoral Officer at Ahiazu Mbaise are undemocratic and question his claims of neutrality as an electoral umpire.”
He explained that the uploaded results were genuine and did not warrant the suspension of result declaration, saying: “I have reviewed the duplicate copies of the polling unit results with the uploaded results on the INEC I-REV and they corresponded with the results at the disposal of my party agents. It is beyond my understanding, therefore, why the Electoral Officer decided to stall the declaration of the winner from the collated and uploaded results. Thereby creating unnecessary tension in the area.”
Onuoha maintained that though he was not the candidate with the highest votes declared so far, it was imperative for INEC to declare the winner and calm down frayed nerves of the electorate and ensure peace in the constituency.
Meanwhile, a perusal at the IREV portal showed APC has 47.79 per cent, PDP 39.48 per cent, and Labour Party 8.23 per cent of votes cast in the Ahiazu Mbaise state constituency election.
He said, “It is true I offered myself for election but the truth is our people voted overwhelmingly for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Otuibe and I respect their choice. The IREV portal shows he is our people’s choice and I urge INEC to end the stalemate and declare him winner. I urge the Resident Electoral Commissioner to immediately declare the winner from the collated and uploaded election results on the INEC I-REV. The essence of elections is for the people to elect those that will serve them. Hence it should not be a do-or-die affair.”
The Accord Party candidate explained that for Ahiazu Mbaise people to enjoy democracy gains in the State Assembly, they must jettison the one-term rule and help their representatives become ranking members.
“Ahiazu Mbaise people should jettison the one tenure rule and allow for ranking status which helps the member to attract better governance,” he stated.
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