The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, winner in the presidential polls held in Ebonyi State on Saturday.
All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state has, however, rejected the result and vowed to challenge it through appropriate channels.
The Presidential Election Collation Officer in the state, Prof. Chukwuemeka Eze, supervised the declaration of the results by INEC’s collation officers in the 13 local government areas in the state at the commission’s headquarters in Abakaliki.
According to the results as declared, PDP won in 12 LGAs – Afikpo South, Afikpo North, Ivo, Ohaozara, Ebonyi, Ishiellu, Onicha, Ohaukwu, Izzi, Abakaliki, Ezza South and Ezza North, leaving APC with victory in Ikwo.
The PDP garnered a total of 258,575 votes as against APC’s 90,726 votes.
Reacting to the result, Chairman of APC in the state, Mr Eze Nwachukwu, said that the party rejected it in its entirety and would challenge it appropriately.
“We call for the cancellation of the entire exercise due to acts of intimidation, electoral violence, over-voting, among others, committed by the ruling party in the state.
“The APC agent in my polling unit for instance, Mr Uche Ubochi, was arrested and detained for 6 hours by the police for frivolous charges orchestrated by the ruling party in the state.
“When he was eventually released after my intervention, the voting process had been manipulated and huge figures allotted to the ruling party,” he said.
He urged INEC to re-conduct the elections as the results did not reflect wishes of the electorate in the state.
Chairman of PDP in the state, Mr Onyekachi Nwebonyi, was not available for comments, but the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Uzor, said that APC should ‘lick its wounds’.
“The entire process was transparent and we highly commend INEC for ensuring that the will of the people prevailed.
“The people showed that they are happy with the transformational strides of the governor and all elected PDP members across the state.
“They would further demonstrate this resolve during the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections on March 9 and the APC should realise that Ebonyi is for PDP,” he said.
