The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has told the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia that voters in parts of Abia North where election did not hold on February 25 intentionally stayed away from the polls.
The commission in written response through its Counsel, Sylvester Elema, SAN to the petition filed by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the election of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of the All Progressive Congress (APC), claimed that voters in Isiama, Okamu, Agboji, and parts of Amaeke in Ohafia LGA and several wards in Arochukwu LGA refused to vote in the presidential and national assembly elections because of their “willful resistance” to voting.
Grow your business with us
“Wherever voting did not eventually hold, it was because of the willful resistance to voting and or refusal to vote by the voters in the area on 25th February, 2023.
INEC further averred that “the unwillingness to vote showed itself in the areas where there are strong agitation for cessation ( by IPOB) as most people in the area showed sympathy for the agitation particularly Agboji, Okamu, Isiama and Amaeke in Ohafia Local Government and Ohaeke, Arochukwu Ward IÌI and Ututu in Arochukwu Local Government “.
Senator Ohuabunwa and the PDP are challenging the “unlawful return” of Senator Kalu in the 25th February senatorial poll.
They claimed that Election did not hold in over 90 polling units mainly in Ohafia Local Government Area, and parts of Arochukwu LGA as voters who reportedly thronged out en mass waited in vain till evening without any INEC official or adhoc staff showing up. And that INEC had later scheduled a re-run in the affected polling units on February 27 but later put it on hold following an alleged order from above.
Collation of results for Abia North senatorial poll was also suspended pending the conduct of a re-run in the areas election did not hold but surprisingly results were announced.
Protests have trailed the declaration of Kanu as winner of the contest as his opponents including Ohuabunwa; Chief Opoto Oyo of the Labour Party; as well as Ambassador Osita Offor (De Ultimate Commander), of the Democratic African Alliance, ADC, have all cried foul.
They insisted that there ought to be a re-run as as Kalu’s 30,000 margin of lead, is far less than the over 55,000 total number of registered voters in the affected areas.