…as group accuses civil society organisations of partisanship

By Anayo Okoli & Felix Ogbonna

UMUAHIA—As the electorate in Abia State prepare for a supplementary governorship election on Saturday, the state chapter of Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct fresh governorship election.

This came as a socio-political group in the state, All Citizens Forum, accused civil society organisations and other election observers who monitored the April 11 governorship and state Assembly polls of partisanship.

IPAC in a statement by the chairman, Prince Emeka Okafor, said it had rejected the April 11 governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state, saying it was so much characterised by irregularities, violence and manipulations to pass as an acceptable election.

Rising from a meeting in Umuahia, Tuesday, IPAC noted with dismay that the April 11 elections in Abia State “was marred with irregularities, violence, massive rigging, ballot box snatching, tampering of result figures by INEC officers and a host other manipulations that completely undermined the whole exercise.”

Giving specific areas where the malpractices occurred, IPAC said:   “Various reports and evidences indicate that many electoral officers and Youth Corp members were complicit in the manipulation of electoral results.

In Abia North, in Ohafia Local Government the voting was marred with irregularities, particularly in Nkporo and in the localities of Ania and Abia.

“In Isiukwuato, Umunneochi and Arochukwu, there were reports of late arrival of materials and incidents of snatching ballot boxes. In Abia Central, in Osisoma, voters were harassed by armed hoodlums and dispersed from polling booths.”