The Presiding Officer of the Abia Governorship/House of Assembly Elections has assured Abia people that their will shall stand as she would never bend the rules for anything or anybody.
Professor Nnenna Oti, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, made the heartwarming promise on Monday, while giving an update on the Governorship Election in the State which results are still being expected.
Of the 16 Local Government Areas declared so far, the candidate of the Labour, Dr Alex Otti, leads with victory in 10. However, midway into the announcement, Professor Oti said she had a call from the INEC Chairman, instructing that collation of votes be stopped in Obingwa LGA because of a number of alleged irregularities.
Before the suspension, Dr Otti had garnered a total of 171,747 votes to lead Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who scored a total of 79,477. He won in five LGAs, followed by the Candidate of the
Young Peoples Party, YPP, Enyinnaya Nwafor who polled 8,839 to win in his home LGA, Osisioma.
In directing the suspension of collation, INEC, said it was immediate as relayed in a letter Professor Oti asked the Administrative Secretary of INEC, Abia State, Chief Clement Oha to read midway into collation at the INEC office in Umuahia. The suspension, the letter said, was based on the alleged irregularities in some polling units, especially, in Obingwa Local Government Area where INEC office was invaded.
The letter said: “There will be no further collation of results at Obingwa until INEC Commissioners arrive from Abuja by Tuesday to supervise the collation and take decision on what has to be done after reviewing the situation on ground.”
Professor Oti, a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God told the people that the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, gave her directives on guidelines to follow in order to ensure that Abia Governorship election results were collated based on the extant guidelines.
To reassure the people she vowed that she is neutral but strictly objective in the discharge of her duties.
She said: ”I am Professor Nnenna Oti from Afikpo, VC of FUTO. The people’s mandate shall stand.
“I have spent all my adult life in pursuit of the ideals of good governance. We shall stand by the these principles.
”The Pastor in me and the mother in me will not permit me to do anything that will adversely affect the future of our children. I shall do right by God and by man!”
Festus Okoye, Head Voter Education and Information Committee, INEC, in another statement he signed announced the suspension of collation of Governorship election results in Abia and Enugu States.
In suspending it, INEC pointed at “alleged cases of violence, irregularities and invasion of its offices in the affected States as reason for the action.”
The statement revealed that the Commission will review results in the affected LGAs before any other action.
Following is the full text of the statement.
“SUSPENSION OF FURTHER COLLATION OF GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION RESULTS IN ABIA AND ENUGU STATES
“The Commission met today, Monday 20th March 2023 and reviewed the conduct of the Governorship and State Assembly elections held nationwide on Saturday 18th March 2023. Arising from the meeting, the Commission took the decision to suspend forthwith further collation of the Governorship election results in some parts of Abia and Enugu States.
“It will be recalled that our office in Obingwa Local Government Area was invaded by thugs yesterday Sunday 19th March 2023 and our officials held hostage in relation to the collation of results from the Local Government Area.
“Similarly, reports from Enugu State call for a review of the results for the Governorship election from the two outstanding Local Government Areas of Nsukka and Nkanu East.
“Consequently, the Commission hereby suspends the collation of results in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State and the two outstanding Local Government Areas of Enugu State which are yet to be collated. A review will be undertaken immediately before the process is concluded.
“We appeal for the understanding and patience of voters, parties and candidates in the affected States.”
