*** Says the Election must be declared inclusive

By Henry Umoru

SENATOR Mao Ohuabunwa, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Abia North, yesterday took a swipe at the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC following the purported declaration of the former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu as Senator-elect for the Senatorial district in last Saturday National Assembly election.

Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa

Senator Ohuabunwa who asked INEC to declare the election inconclusive said that the present declaration was unlawful and dangerous for participatory democracy, said that the electoral umpire should respect its own laws.

Addressing Journalists yesterday in Abuja, Senator Ohuabunwa who kicked against the purported declaration of Uzor Kalu for the senatorial seat said that there was nowhere the returning officer for the 2019  election, Dr Charles Anumudu officially announced the winner of the election which going by realities on the ground, was inconclusive.

Ohuabunwa who defeated Orji Uzor Kalu in the senatorial race in 2015,  said that extant rules guiding the conduct of the election by INEC and declaration of the winner, clearly stipulate that margin of votes difference between whoever is the winner and runners up, must be more than the cancelled votes and not less in any way.

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He said, “Going by this provision, the margin of votes difference between me and Kalu in the election was 10,000 which is far less than the 38, 000 votes cancelled.

” As strictly adhered to by INEC in previous elections and even in some other senatorial elections conducted last Saturday, Abia North election should be declared inconclusive for voters affected by the 38, 000 votes cancelled to exercise their franchise.”

He lamented that INEC in the election, for reasons that cannot be explained, cancelled the votes counted and recorded in his polling unit, ward and in  the entire Arochukwu local government to give Kalu an edge, adding, ” What I am calling for now, is for INEC to respect the stated extant laws guiding conduct of election and declaration  of winner as regards margin of difference.

” The margin of votes difference in the Abia North Senatorial election between Kalu and I was 10,000 votes which are far less than the 38, 000 votes in affected units where votes were cancelled.

” The election by the laid down procedure is inconclusive as it was in Ondo South, Imo North etc. INEC must declare it so for justice to prevail and principles of participatory democracy respected.”