The Senatorial candidate of the Labour Party, LP, for Ebonyi North senatorial zone, Anselm Enigwe, alongside the House of Representatives of the Party, Eze Emmanuel, contesting for Abakaliki/Izzi federal constituency has accused the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ebonyi State of connivance with desperate politicians to mutilate election results in 3 senatorial zones of the state.
The Labour Party, LP, candidates, Enigwe and Eze made this known while addressing newsmen at the INEC headquarters in Abakaliki, after twenty four (24) hours that the election results were brought into the commission for collation.
According to LP House of Reps candidate, Eze: “It is obvious that abnormality is going on within the INEC. Yesterday, I found out that lots of election results where I had won were mutilated, at a point, agents of APC took over Izzi collation centre.
“But be that as it may, we still scored above 40% in Izzi LGA. Now, since yesterday the election results from Abakaliki are being doctored under the very watch of the EO and the Ebonyi Resident Electoral Commissioner, inside their office there. They have moved out from Abakaliki, after spending a whole night and took us back to INEC headquarters.
“Since yesterday till now, nothing has been done, they kept mutilating, deleting and cancelling but the fact is that I overwhelmingly defeated them (APC) in urban and the entire Abakaliki LGA. They have been trying everything possible to rig themselves in.
“Remember, they killed a man in Izzi LGA. They injured three (3) other persons who are currently hospitalized. They equally used extreme force against LP candidates. They succeeded in chasing us out,” he stated.
Responding, the LP Ebonyi North senatorial candidate, Enigwe said: “My agents said they were chased away from Ebonyi LGA collation centre by gun wielding thugs of APC, and they (APC) even rigged and generated figures in their own favour.”
“Two (2) persons lost their lives in Izzi LGA. A corper was shot and one other man is still in the hospital. At mbeke, Onu-enyim and Agalagu wards in Ebonyi LGA, APC agents were the ones that took over INEC jobs. They (APC agents) are the ones to give you the ballot papers and under their supervision, they will tell you where to vote,” he alleged.
In a swift reaction, the Ebonyi state Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mrs Onyeka Ugochi P. said she had seen the petition written by the Labour Party, LP, candidates and vowed to address the matter.
Mrs. Ugochi, however, urged the affected LP candidates to go to court if they are not comfortable with the election process or the outcome of the results of the election.
“When I entered my office, I saw a petition written by Labour Party candidates. If they are not comfortable with what has been done, they are free to go to court and challenge it and we will assist them,” she stated.