Senator Mao Ohuabunwa , Abia North Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the February 25 national assembly election ,has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw the certificate of return issued to the incumbent Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of the All Progressive Congress, APC.
At a press briefing on Tuesday in his Umuahia residence, Ohuabunwa, alleged that Kalu was not the true winner of the poll as the election did not hold in so many wards and polling units in the zone.
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According to him the outcome of the election could be altered if voters in the polling units election did not hold were given the opportunity to vote.
Alleging foul play and compromise, Ohuabunwa demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Returning Officer for returning Kalu when a rescheduled election in the disenfranchised units had not been held.
He argued that the Returning Officer could not claim not to know the implications of declaring somebody a winner in an inconclusive election.
The PDP candidate explained that INEC had acknowledged that election did not hold in over 100 polling units including an entire four political wards in Ohafia, and announced a date for return in the affected areas when suddenly the Returning Officer declared Kalu winner.
He contested that it was wrong for INEC to disenfranchise innocent voters in the affected units for no fault of theirs.
“Orji Uzor knows he did not win that election, and he cannot win if the free and fair contest is held.
” Why did INEC not upload results from polling units if they want us to believe it was credible? Why was collation done without recourse to BVAS? Should we continue deceiving ourselves?”
“What INEC did in Abia North was no election but a rape of democracy. If it is not corrected before the next election it will be a bad signal “.