#EndSARS protests ‘ll be child’s play if INEC does wrong things in Abia, Enugu guber polls
By Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
As anxiety continues to mount over the March 18 governorship election results in Abia and Enugu States, Igbo youths have cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to announce the wrong candidates winner as doing so could trigger protest worse than the #EndSARS protests.
Igbo youths who spoke under the auspices of Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, expressed worries over the delays by INEC to declare winners of the contests.
COSEYL in a statement by its President General, Goodluck Ibem, said that winners of both elections had become clear going by their votes in the various Local Government Areas.
The group urged INEC to remain neutral and pronounce winners of the polls based on the votes they garnered
” True winners of the election are not in doubt but are glaringly clear for the blind to see”, COSEYL said.
Igbo youths urged INEC, security agencies and the necessary stakeholders, to ensure that the will of the voters in both states were not subverted.
They argued that the controversial Obingwa results should be jettisoned and only the figured captured the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS machines be used.
The statement made available to Ikengaonline read in part:”As youth leaders of the South East geopolitical zone, it will be wrong to keep quiet when things are not going the way it should be hence our resolve to come out and say the truth the way it should be.
“In Abia State, the results of 16 Local Government Areas of the state have been released before the introduction of the controversial result from Obingwa Local Government Area of the State was brought to Abia State Collation center, a local government where it was reported that INEC officials where beaten black and blue to compromised or change the elections figures.
“The Obingwa East State Constituency results as announced by INEC on the same day the governorship election was conducted showed that the PDP scored 7,772; LP – 1,636; YPP – 1,257; APGA – 450; making a total of 11,115 votes
; and in Obingwa West State Constituency, PDP scored 13,769; LP – 3028 making a total of 16,809.
“The total number of people that voted in Obingwa East and West which is the two state constituencies that make up Obingwa Local Government Area is 27,912.
“If 27,912 people voted in the said election, from where did the 108,000 votes being claimed by PDP emanate from? This is a one million dollar question begging for answer from those who brought the said result to INEC State Collation center.
“The Electoral law is very clear on areas where the total number of accredited voters by BVAS is higher than the total number of those that voted. Where there is over voting, the Returning Officer is empowered by law to cancel the results of that center, ward or Local Government as the case may be.
“We call on INEC, not to delay, but announce the rightful winner of the governorship election in Abia and Enugu States in order to calm the frayed nerves in both states.
“Any attempt to announce the wrong person as the winner of the governorship elections in Abia State and Enugu State will lead to protest worse than #ENDSARS.
“As youths leaders of South East who care for the well-being of our people, we are only raising the consciousness of INEC to do the right thing in order not to plunge the two states into serious anarchy and lawlessness.”
Ikengaonline had reported that INEC, on Monday, suspended collation of Abia and Enugu governorship results over allegations of over voting.
The Commission has however announced that collation of Abia governorship election results would resume by 4:00 pm today (Wednesday).
