Abia PDP rejects senatorial result, asks INEC to fix a rerun

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia state has rejected the result of the election conducted in Abia north senatorial district.

During an emergency meeting of the state working committee headed by Johnson Onuigbo, chairman of the party, the PDP said a critical review of the election showed that it was inconclusive and should be so declared by INEC.

The party alleged unlawful manipulations and unjustifiable cancellations of results during the elections.

Citing rule 33(e) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections, the PDP said such election should be deemed to be inconclusive.

It urged INEC to fix a date to “conclude the election.”

“From what the Independent National Electoral Commission have as result of Abia-north senatorial election, the gap between the senatorial candidate of All Progressives Congress, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, and the candidate of our party; distinguished Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, is only ten thousand and four hundred votes,” the party said.

“On the other hand, votes cancelled in Arochukwu and Nkporo alone amount to more than thirty-eight thousand.

“By the aforesaid rule 33(e) of INEC regulations and guidelines, Saturday’s senatorial election in Abia-north should have been declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission because the margin of lead between the leading candidates which is 10,400 is less than the cancelled votes of over 38,000.

“Our party; therefore, rejects the result of Abia-north senatorial election and vehemently demands that INEC complies with extant electoral guidelines by declaring the election inconclusive and consequently fix a date to conclude the election. Our stand is not strange as it has been done in the Ondo south senatorial election which INEC declared inconclusive.”

In the same vein, Mao Ohuabunwa, senatorial candidate of the PDP, also called on INEC to reschedule a re-run election in the zone.

Ohuabunwa insisted that Orji Uzor Kalu, his APC rival, was never declared winner of the poll “contrary to his claims and some media reports”.

“Announcing Kalu winner of Abia north senatorial contest is a joke taken too far”, Ohuabunwa said.

“The total number of canceled votes is 76,889, while the margin of victory is 10,402.

“The difference between margin of victory and canceled votes is 66,487. Can INEC validly declare a winner of that poll?”

Ohuabunwa said the returning officer merely announced figures and number of votes secured by each candidate but never declared Kalu winner.