Abia LG Poll: Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABEIC) Contradicts Self

Contrary to a statement credited to the Chairman of Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABEIC), Prof. Mkpa Agu Mkpa that people suspected to be thugs disrupted the distribution of electoral materials to polling units in Ummuneochi LGA of Abia state, the Electoral Officer of ABSEIC, Mr. Ezeakolam Chukwu, in his signed report, stressed that the election could not hold Friday as scheduled due to the absence of the result sheets for Chairmanship election and one returning result sheet for LGA.

Speaking under condition of anonymity, a voter and community leader in Ummuneochi LGA, cautioned the ABSEIC Chairman against causing confusion and crisis in the local government, adding that the Electoral Officer, who was on ground in Ummuneochi LGA, noted that the postponement of the poll was borne out of the non-availability of result sheets.

The community leader said, “the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are working closely with ABSEIC Chairman in a bid to short change the voters.

” We shall not condone any attempt to rig the election.

“We remain firm and determined to ensure a credible election.

“Hence, ABSEIC Chairman should face reality by admitting administrative inefficiency on his part other than giving false and misleading information.

” The electorate will not vote until a level playing ground is provided”.

Lamenting the absence of result sheets and desperate move by the PDP to manipulate the electoral process, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Chairmanship of Ummuneochi local government, Hon. Frank Osita-Chuks called on security agencies and other stakeholders, to be vigilant as Abia state government is desperate to write results in favour of the PDP candidate and if such occurs nobody would be able to control the people’s reaction.

“We advise ABSIEC to address the issues we have raised especially the fact that ABSIEC adopted the ad-hoc workers list given to them by PDP bearing the names of their LGA executive members as Ward Supervisors and their ward executives as Presiding Officers and poll clerks.

Failure to address all the issues raised by APC in Umunneochi may lead to threat to the security in the Local Government”