By Steve Oko

A coalition of Abia Patriots and Youth Leaders, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to declare without further delays, the result of the March 18 governorship poll in Abia State, the save the state from avoidable crisis.

The coalition which made the demand at a press conference Tuesday in Umuahia, said that the continued delay in announcing the winner of the contest three days afterward the election, was generating unnecessary tension across the state.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, its Co- Convener and former Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon. Dannie Ubani, said that Abians had surrendered their mandate to Otti, who is leading the poll with 92,720 votes according to the result of the election in 16 out of the 17 Local Government Areas in the state.

He demanded INEC to stop delaying from declaring him winner , saying that Abians who willingly surrendered their mandate to Otti would not allow Obingwa LGA to hold the state hostage.

The former Commissioner said that it was strange and hard to believe that in the same Obingwa where only 27,922 voters were accredited and voted in the house of assembly election, some people could turn around to bandy 110,000 votes for the governorship candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Okey Ahiwe.

He said it was bizarre for anyone to manipulate election figures to look as if votes were manufactured in Obingwa.

Ubani argued that there was no way Obingwa alone would produce almost half of the entire voters in the state.

He urged INEC to declare Otti winner of the contest since he already maintains a commanding lead from 16 LGAs.

” If the result of Obingwa is compromised, INEC should declare Otti winner because he is leading in 16 LGAs already.

” Anything short of that is an invitation to anarchy. INEC should save Abia from avoidable crisis. We should stop allowing few individuals to use Obingwa results to hold the entire state to ransom.

“Obingwa Local Government should not be allowed to be converted to the hot bed of election malpractice as have been the sad reality since 2015.”

He said “a situation where a clique of power – intoxicated ticks constitute themselves as power barons who must lord themselves over the rest of Abians by manipulating and joggling election figures at their whims and caprices is not only undemocratic but very criminal and highly invidious.”

Continuing he said:”For the records, there is a total of 157,390 registered voters in Obingwa. During the presidential election Obingwa recorded a total of 26,998 votes, and a total of 25,963 in the Senatorial election which is 17.29% and 16.5% respectively. All these figures were all accredited with BVAS.

“The above statistical realities stand to question and also prove as fabricated abnormality the mind blowing figures springing from Obingwa in the just concluded gubernatorial election.

“Both the governorship and state assembly election held on the same day and time, by the same staff using the same BVAS machine for accreditation as stipulated by law.”

He argued that the same accreditation process and record use for the House of Assembly election were equally the same that were used for the governorship election.

“There were no two or separate accreditations for two elections. INEC has since announced the results of the House of Assembly elections of the two constituencies of the same Obingwa with the following figures: 11,115 for Obingwa East; and 16,807 for Obingwa West.

“This gives us a total of 27,920 as the number of valid votes. Statistically, this gives us 17.7% of the registered voters.

“Therefore, the stalemate and unnecessary overheating of the Abia environment occasioned by the joggling of figures by the political overlords of Obingwa is most unfortunate.

“It is bizarre, primitive and incredible for anyone in his right senses to start contemplating assaulting the sensibilities of Abians, and indeed Nigerians by manipulating the results of Obingwa to the crazy point of coming up with 110,211 votes, (that is 70% of registered voters) as the result of PDP in the said governorship election”.

The patriots condemned what they called the desperation of the outgoing Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to install his successor at all costs.

“We condemn in totality and in very clear terms the desperation of the outgoing governor to install a puppet godson as a successor. It is such desperation that forced him into storming the collation center of INEC in his Obingwa LGA, in a Gestapo style, and taking the staff of INEC hostage for 24 hours.

” It took an official statement from INEC for the military to intervene by evacuating the hostage victims to safety in Umuahia.

“The Police and such other relevant security agencies should start investigating Governor Ikpeazu with a view of prosecuting him after May 29th, 2023 when his immunity would have expired.

“The PDP power barons should embrace the realities of the new electoral system as revolutionized by the introduction of BVAS.

“Abians have spoken and they spoke loudly and clearly. Dr. Alex Otti is their new governor. All and sundry should respect this reality.

“Even if all the accredited votes of 27,920 votes are given to PDP, Dr. Alex Otti of the Labour Party would still be leading with more than 26,000 votes. Therefore, there is no justifiable reason why Dr. Alex Otti should not be declared as the winner of the said election now.”

The patriots warned that something had to be done quickly to avert bloodbath in the state

“Abia, our dearly blessed but badly raped state, is teetering at the brink of a heinous conflagration which can only be extinguished by doing the right thing.

” Emotions are already running amok. This danger should be averted now. The peoples’ patience should not be mistaken for cowardice”, he fumed.

Adding his voice, the Immediate – past Chairman, Abia Board of Internal Revenue and Co convener of the coalition, Professor Udo Ogbonna, expressed shock that Abia governorship election result had become a subject of controversy when the winner was obvious.

He appealed to INEC to use its powers to save the state from few individuals bent one subverting the will of the people.

The former BIR boss, said that INEC had been given the powers to cancel elections where there is over voting, urging the commission to save Abia from sliding into anarchy.

Some other members of the coalition from different political backgrounds include the National Secretary of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Dr Gift Nwangwa; Young Ngwaziem, Emmanuel Egwu, among others.