2023 polls: LP Supporters Protest Alleged INEC Rigging of Results In Ebonyi

From Nwogha Ndubuisi, Abakaliki

Not less than one hundred supporters of Labour Party, LP, House of Representatives Candidates in Ebonyi state have stormed INEC's state headquarters office Abakaliki, calling for the cancellation of Saturday's election over alleged mutilation of their results. The House of Representatives Candidate, Abakaliki/Izzi Federal Constituency, Dr Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh and his Ohaukwu/Ebonyi counterpart, Prince Chibueze Agbo accused some bad elements in INEC of connivance with APC power mongers to mutilate and awarding the figure to the duo. According to the protesters who carried placard with different inscription such as "The power of the people is greater than the people in power, No rigging, No rigging" were chanting, "End rigging, End rigging".

Speaking with the protesters through the candidates, appealed to president Muhammadu Buhari and other concerns good citizen of the country to prevail on Ebonyi state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Onyeka Ugochi to announce the original results gotten at the polling units in area. The labour party candidates explained that the "bad elements in INEC connived with the agents of the All Progressives Congress, APC to mutilate our original results sheets due to the BVAS machines inability to upload results at the PU when they got to collection centers". Eze added, "The results of Abakaliki/Izzi Federal Constituency are yet to be announced till now. They keep mutilating the results. "This is 48hours since the election was conducted and they keep mutilating, deleting and adding choice figures to suit their paymaster against the mandate given to me by my people. "I'm calling on INEC to announce my results, I won overwhelmingly and that's why my people are here demanding INEC to call our results.

Prince Agbo, who's contesting for Ohaukwu/Ebonyi federal constituency frowned at the shoddy attitude shown against them and urged the electoral umpire not to sabotage the people's mandate as such would add to the insecurity in the land. "Nobody is happy with what's happening in Nigeria today. But I am happy that the masses are giving the Obidient movement massive support. "But few bad elements in INEC trying to thwart the wish of the people will never succeed and we are calling on them to endeavour to manage the electoral revolution going on well instead of pushing the masses into violence. Meanwhile, the state secretary of Labour Party, Barr Luke Adonwe called on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to observe the new electoral law which stipulated that election's result should be uploaded to the BVAS at the polling units and serve as reliable document for presentation.