By Emma Una

CALABAR – THE All Progressives Congress, APC, has rejected the Cross River State election result announced by the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC.

CHAIRMAN of the party in the state, Mr Usani Usani, Monday, rejected  the results, even as the governorship candidate of the party, Odey Ochicha congratulated Senator Ben Ayade, who was announced winner poll.

Ochicha, at 11.32a.m., yesterday called Senator Ben Ayade, to congratulate him on his victory, assuring him of total support and promised to work with him to move Cross River State forward.

Ochicha  said Ayade’s  victory was also  his (Ochicha’s) personal victory and congratulated him on his victory. “What is most important is the progress and development of Cross River State which l am sure you can deliver,” he added.

Meanwile, Usani said the party took the position to reject the INEC result after a thorough investigation showed that the result sheets were tempered with allegedly by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in favour of their candidates.

“The election was characterized by irregularities and my first demand is the cancellation of the election. My second demand is that the perpetrators of this illegal act should be prosecuted.

“As a progressive party, we demand the immediate release of all our members who have been beaten and kept in detention.

“The information available to me as we speak is that over four persons died during the polls in Mkpani community in Yakurr Local Government Area as a result of electoral violence,” he said.

According to him, in most of the polling units across the state, the use of card reader was not employed contrary to the directives from INEC.