- …demands immediate sack of REC, removal of CP
Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the immediate cancellation of the election conducted in Abia Central Senatorial Zone.
The APC also demanded for the immediate sack of Mr. Joseph Iloh, the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner and also, the removal of the state commissioner of police, Mr. Okon Etim.
The party said the call was necessitated by what it terms compromised between INEC and the immediate past governor of the state, Chief T. A Orji who allegedly held a secret meeting with INEC REC, Mr. Iloh in Umuahia during voting.
The APC said the immediate past governor and Abia Central Senatorial candidate of the PDP, Senator T. A Orji was seen in a secret meeting with the boss of the electoral umpire in the state which lasted for 30 minutes in Umuahia.
Disclosing this to Newsmen, the Abia State Publicity Secretary of APC, Comrade Benedict Godson said the party does not want anyone to truncate the will and wishes of Abia electorates who have made their choices.
He said: “We are calling for the immediate cancellation of the senatorial election in Abia Central and immediate sack of INEC REC in Abia State.
“One of the major reasons why we are calling for the cancellation is that just about 12:20, the INEC REC was visited by the immediate past governor, Chief T. A Orji and they discussed for 30 minutes before he left.
“How can a candidate who is contesting against other candidates and other parties like APC and APGA be having meeting with INEC REC who should stay neutral and non partisan on the day of a serious election like this?
“Because of this clandestine meeting, we are calling for the immediate sack of the Abia INEC REC.”
He went further and stated that there are other reasons why they want Iloh to be sacked immediately because he is not worthy to be in the current position he occupies.
“There are other reasons we want him out. In Abia South Senatorial Zone, in places like Akwaete in Ukwa East LGA, ballot papers arrived without party logos. Can you imagine that?
“Tell me what do you want voters there to do? In Obohia community in Ukwa East, incomplete Senatorial materials was what we saw. Who caused it?
“PDP has just exhibited their stock in trade. In Osisioma LGA which also falls under Abia Central, they colluded with INEC to delay accreditation up till 12:30 and 1pm just to frustrate voters and then do what they really wanted.
“All these antics were exhibited because of the presence of our Chairman who hails from Osisioma LGA and also our Senatorial candidate who is also from there.
“The discovered that people were trooping out to vote APC and resorted to the technique of instructing their collaborators in INEC to delay and frustrate voters to leave before they will have chance to manipulate things.”
Speaking on the call for the removal of the Abia CP, Godson said, “We are also calling for the immediate removal of the Police Commissioner of the state because in places like Owaza in Ukwa West LGA, voters were chased out and intimidated from coming out.
“There was no presence of police at all. Where we had crisis police presence were no where to be found. They colluded with INEC and disappeared when they were needed most.
“We want peace in the state and we don’t believe in intimidation. We respect the views of the electorates and we want it maintained. So, we believe most places should be cancelled.”
