Abia North: Ohafia youths condemn INEC, task tribunal

FOLLOWING the massive rigging that characterised the March 5, Abia North Senato­rial rerun poll, youths under the auspices of Ohafia Youth Alliance Forum (OYAF) have lamented the electoral fraud committed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its agents during polling.

Recall that the Indepen­dent National Electoral Com­mission (INEC) through its returning officer, Dr. Ojike Nwankwo had earlier on Sun­day morning, March 6, 2016, declared the rerun election inconclusive on the premise of ballot box snatching and other irregularities , only to re­turn in the afternoon to make a volte-face by announcing the PDP candidate, Mr. Mao Ohuabunwa, winner of the re­run poll in very controversial circumstances to the chagrin of observers and other parties that participated in the elec­tion.

According to the group, the popularity of the Progressive Peoples’ Alliance (PPA) can­didate, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu is unmatched and unshakable, adding that the good works of the businessman cum politi­cian during and after his stint as governor of Abia State has continued to earn him enor­mous goodwill among the people regardless of party af­filiations.

In a statement signed, the group’s coordinator, Mazi Anagha Ezikpe, said, “In view of the electoral fraud that marred the last senato­rial rerun poll in Abia North, we are constrained to use this medium to condemn in total­ity the electoral malpractices committed by the PDP.

“We wish to alert the appro­priate authorities to ensure that the culprits of these undemo­cratic acts are made to face the wrath of the law especially the PDP thugs who were in pos­session of thumb printed bal­lot papers and arrested by the police in Nkporo and Abam in Ohafia and Arochukwu local governments respectively.

“In spite of the people’s desire to vote for the PPA candidate, the Abia State gov­ernment deployed top gov­ernment officials to the vari­ous local governments in the senatorial region to intimidate voters”.

While saluting the courage and professional ethics of the three- man appellate panel headed by Justice I.G Mbaba sitting in Owerri that nullified the March 28, 2015 Senato­rial poll in Abia North, Ezikpe called on the members of the tribunal sitting in Umuahia to be wary of the PDP’s antics of bribery and blackmail, noting that justice can only be de­layed but cannot be denied.

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