The All Progressives Grand Alliance agent for the collation and declaration of the governorship election in Ebonyi State, Senator Emmanuel Onwe, on Monday refused to sign the election’s result sheet.
Onwe stormed out of the Independent National Electoral Commission collation centre in Abakaliki, the state capital.
He did this over perceived irregularities as some agents of other political parties also refused to sign the document.
Onwe said before the walkout that the election, which produced Chief Francis Nwifuru of All Progressives Congress as the winner, was a sham.
The APGA candidate in the February 25 election for Ebonyi South Senatorial District said that the result uploaded on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) before the result’s declaration was 188,649.
He said: “When one adds the 10,682 votes it got from Ishielu Local Government Area (LGA) before the result’s declaration, it will amount to 199,331.
“The INEC state Returning Officer, however, announced that APC polled a total 199,131 votes.
“So how does one reconcile the difference?”
Onwe, a former Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information, noted that the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner publicly declared that she was threatened and put under severe pressure.
“The Collation Officers of Ikwo, Izzi and other councils also declared that they were threatened and harassed,” he said.
He noted that he had unfortunately witnessed the “dark, sad procession to the death of democracy” in the state.
He added: “I can no longer be part of this sham and disgraceful stab on democracy in the state.
“I cannot participate further in this charade and therefore will not sign the result sheet.”
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ebonyi State, Pauline Onyeka, confirmed publicly that she was threatened in the course of the elections.
Onyeka said: “I will not because of threats to me refuse to say the truth.
“I have no right to cancel or alter results and did not assist anybody, irrespective of the threats.”
She urged aggrieved persons to challenge the outcome of the election in court if they were not comfortable with it.
“We will provide all you need to contest the outcome in court,” she added.
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