The Abia chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally reacted to the outcomes of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, describing them as unacceptable to the party.
The party made the disclosure in a statement issued by the Vice Chairman/Acting State Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Abraham Amah, and made available to newsmen in Umuahia on Sunday.
The statement is entitled, “Abia PDP will not accept INEC’s double standards in Abia North and Abia South National Assembly elections.”
The party stated that it was embarrassing that while it was preparing for the rescheduled elections in Arochukwu and Ohafia Local Government Areas, INEC went ahead to announce the results.
It added that elections did not take place in 72 polling units with no fewer than 60,000 estimated voters in the two council areas.
It stated that INEC earlier rescheduled the elections for Sunday but postponed it for Monday and while voters were being mobilised for the polls, the commission went ahead to announce the results of inconclusive elections.
It further stated that the commission disenfranchised a large chunk of the electorate far above the margin of lead by the purported winner.
The party further stated that the development “lends the election umpire to absolute ridicule.
“The inability of INEC to stick to extant rules and provisions of the new Electoral Act as it concerns the two senatorial districts also calls to question the overall national elections which have been described by many as a charade only fit for the playbook of toddlers in the kindergarten.
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“In Abia North, after the conduct of the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, INEC announced that the elections were inconclusive because elections did not hold in 72 polling units in Agborji, Isiama and Okamu Wards in Ohafia Local Government Area, among others.
“It went ahead to state that elections to cover those areas would be held on Monday, February 27 to ensure that at least 60,000 persons from those wards were not disenfranchised.
“To our chagrin, the same INEC did not show up for the fresh elections,” it stated.
The party also stated that a similar scenario played out in Abia South Senatorial District.
He added that while the people were waiting for the rescheduled exercise on March 3, INEC declared the results.
It stated, “The Abia PDP wishes to state in very strong, clear and categorical terms that it will not accept the charade being paraded as results of inconclusive elections.”
It urged INEC “to do the needful and ensure that it goes ahead to conduct the remaining elections to enable it determine the true winners.”
Meanwhile, Amah stated that the PDP National Executive Committee has forwarded the list of the Governorship and Deputy Governorship Candidates of Abia PDP to INEC.
According to him, the letter to INEC, contained the names of Chief Okey Ahiwe and Chief Okey Igwe as Governorship and Deputy Governorship Candidates, respectively.
Amah stated that Abia PDP was comfortable with the list and could not object to it.
He maintained that the party had never been at loggerheads with NEC over the list of candidates either now or in the past.
He stated that Igwe was earlier replaced with Dr. Jasper Uche as Ahiwe’s running mate after Ikonne’s death, following reports that he (Igwe) had a suit allegedly challenging his dual citizenship.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abia PDP conducted a fresh governorship primary election to replace late Prof. Uche Ikonne, who passed on in January after clinching the party’s governorship ticket in December 2022.
Amah expressed the hope that the party would win the governorship election, saying that efforts were being intensified by the party to have a landslide.
NAN reports that PDP won only one of the eight House of Representatives seats and none for the Senate.
He attributed the party’s woeful showing in the polls to what is now referred to as the “Obi wave.”
He gave assurance that the scenario would not repeat itself in the Governorship and House of Assembly polls “because these are localised elections.” (NAN)
