JUST IN: Collation of Abia guber poll to resume by 4 pm today
By Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
As anxiety has continued to build over the suspension of collation of Abia governorship election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the electoral umpire has disclosed that the exercise will resume by 4:00 pm today ( Wednesday, March 22).
at the Collation Centre located inside the premises of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, headquarters Umuahia.
Head, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Rebecca Jim, who disclosed this to Ikengaonline, said that the exercise would continue at the Collation Centre located inside the INEC headquarters in Umuahia.
She also confirmed that the Presiding Officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO, Professor Nnenna Oti; and the State Administrative Secretary, Clement Oha, who were invited to the INEC headquarters Abuja, over the controversy from the Obingwa results, were on their way back to the state, to continue with the exercise.
INEC, on Monday, ordered the suspension of the collation of Abia governorship election results following allegations of obvious over voting, violence and invasion of INEC facility in Obingwa.
Information from INEC shows that fewer than 27,000 voters were accredited in Obingwa by the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS machines.
But it is being speculated that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP polled over 100,000 ‘controversial’ votes in Obingwa, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s home-town.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party which is already leading the poll with over 92,000 votes from 16 LGAs already declared, alleged that the ‘ mystery figure’ was manufactured by the ruling party to remain in power.
Abia has 17 LGAs, and while results from 26 LGAs had been formally declared, Obingwa result was yet to be announced when on Monday, the directive from INEC headquarters Abuja came for the exercise to the suspended.
Since then temper has been running high across the state with various groups and individuals urging INEC to declare the candidate of the Labour Party, Dr Alex Otti, winner of the March 18 governorship poll in Abia State.
They have also variously warned on the grave implications of delaying in the announcement of the result of the election held since four days.
