Essential Ndubuisi
Abia state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has challenged the returning officer for the March 18 governorship election in the state, Professor Nnenna Oti, to name those who bullied and attempted to bribe her during the collation of election results in Umuahia.
The governor accused the returning officer of participating in the victory dance of the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Dr. Alex Otti, through her actions after the election in contradiction of the expected neutrality of INEC officials.
In a chat with journalists in Umuahia, Governor Ikpeazu alleged that Oti clearly came to execute a ‘hatchet job’ against the PDP in the state considering her utterances after the election. He also denied meeting or having contacts with the returning officer and accused her of making too much noise out of nothing.
Ikpeazu disclosed that he had expressed some fears about the returning officer to the INEC authorities but was assured that they have confidence in her. He added that the returning officer’s duty was to tally results already collated from the wards through the local government and declare them. She had no right to change the results, reject them, or celebrate, according to the governor.
On vehicular and cash gifts which have been donated to the returning officer by some highly placed Abians, after the election, Ikpeazu said that bribes could come before or after an event. He described such gifts as an inducement and incentive to behave in a certain way.
Governor Ikpeazu challenged Oti to reveal the names of those who attempted to bribe and bully her during the collation of the election results.
