Inconclusive Election In Abia State
Abia State Civil Society organization CALLS for the re-run in Osisioma, Ugwunagbo, Obingwa,and Isialangwa North LGAs and Deployment of All INEC Officers in the State.
The Civil Society organization in Abia State use this medium to voice our displeasure over series of irregularities and abuse of the Electoral process which was experienced in the state Gubernatorial Election. We deem it fit to say that it is indeed a sorry state of affairs which must not be allowed to triumph in Abia State especially at his era where the wind of cogent and undeniable change is blowing across our political institutions landscape and history.
We are worried over the weak oversight powers of the national headquarters of INEC over resident electoral commissioners and state INEC offices in the management and conduct of elections, Where political officers holders and incumbent interfere and play a major role in truncating the Electoral process and Subverting the will of the people as being seen on what play out in the Abia State Election thus makes it easy for RECs and other state level INEC officers to undermine the credibility of the election with reckless impunity.
The Group decried a situation where an Election Result has been cancelled by the returning officer but was forced to reverse the decision by the ruling party chieftain. His Action amount to undermining the power vested on the state collation and returning officer and abuse of the constitution and Electoral Act.”
The state Returning Officer had cancelled results for Isiala-Ngwa North, Osisioma and Obingwa local government areas citing widespread electoral malpractices, violence, ballot box snatching, using fake uniformed men among other electoral offences and reports of independent foreign & domestic observers that monitored the exercise.
Ahead of the re-run in these Areas we demand that the independent Electoral commission should deployed all erring INEC officers found capable and have played a role in the controversial Election in the state and action be taken to investigate their activities with a view to prosecuting and sanctioning them, if found culpable, under the law.
With negative public perceptions of the elections in the state and ahead of the Re-run, INEC should takes every necessary step to protect the integrity of the election as a way of strengthening the trust of the electorate in the voting process and should guide against interference by the incumbent and other political and public office holders, Deployed all INEC officers who have in one way or other compromised in the inconclusive Election to upheld the commission integrity in organizing a transparent and credible Election. The Results released in these LGAs are highly questionable due to the level of voter's apathy in the Gubernatorial Election.
The civil society organizations in the state commend the Abia electorate for the collective determination to further improve our elections by turning out in their numbers to exercise their all-important franchise and are enjoined to remain vigilant and protective of their democratic rights and feel free to come out in enmass to cast their votes when the rescheduled election will be held while we await the next directives from INEC and Abian should continue their daily activities as Abia state is save and peaceful.
SIGNED;
Rev. Fr. Kelechi Anyanwu
Justice Development Peace and Commission (JDPC)
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD)
Comrade Innocent Anozie Nkowocha
Society for Economic Rights & Social Justice (SERSJ)
Comrade Cassiuss Ukwugbe
Human Rights, Justice & Peace Foundation (HRJPF)
Comrade David Anyaele
Centre for citizens with Disabilities (CCD)
