The Peoples Democratic Party in Abia State emphatically rejects the result of Senatorial election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abia North Senatorial Zone on Saturday, 23rd February, 2019.
In an emergency meeting of the State Working Committee of the Part presided over by the Chairman of the Party in the State: Sir Johnson Onuigbo, the Party, after a critical review of the election, including unlawful manipulations and unjustifiable cancellations, concluded that, at best, the election was inconclusive and should be so declared by INEC.
Rule 33 (e) of INEC Regulations and Guidelines For The Conduct Of Elections, 2019, stipulates that where the number of cancelled votes outnumber the difference in vote of a ‘leading candidate’, such election shall be deemed to be inconclusive.
From what the Independent National Electoral Commission purports to have as result of Abia-North senatorial election, the gap between the Senatorial Candidate of All Progressives Congress, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, and the Candidate of our Party; Distinguished Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, is only ten thousand and four hundred votes.
On the other hand, votes cancelled in Arochukwu and Nkporo alone amount to more than thirty-eight thousand.
By the aforesaid Rule 33(e) of INEC Regulations and Guidelines, Saturday’s senatorial election in Abia-North should have been declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission because the margin of lead between the leading candidates which is 10,400 (ten thousand four hundred) is less than the cancelled votes of over 38,000 ( thirty eight thousand).
PDP in the State shall not condone the unlawfulness of a calculated attempt to subvert the democratic will of the good people of Abia-North, for no fault of theirs.
Our Party, therefore, rejects the result of Abia-North senatorial election and vehemently demands that INEC complies with extant electoral guidelines by declaring the election inconclusive and consequently fix a date to conclude the election.
Our stand is not strange as it has been done in the Ondo South Senatorial Election which INEC declared inconclusive.
That of Abia North Senatorial Zone can not and shall not be different.
Don Ubani
State Publicity Secretary.
