Group Demands Supplementey Election To Conclude Ogbaru Fed Constituency Contest
A group under the aegis of the Alliance of Ogbaru Indigenous Communities (AOIC) has condemned the attempt to subvert the electoral wishes of the people of Ogbaru Federal Constituency.
In a Statement signed by its national president, Arch Anayo Akue, AOIC blamed an allegedly well-known party thug and arsonist in Anambra State for spearheading the crusade of travesty against the people of Ogbaru.
Akue said the aim of the group was to promote peaceful co-existence among Ogbahu people.
He said it was unfortunate that some elements with selfish political interest were calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release the Ogbaru House of Representatives election result where there were still cases of non conduct of election and irregularities in some places.
He said results were rewritten results in some places, multiple thumb printing of ballot papers and over voting; arson in Akili Ozizor, intimidation of INEC staff in Iyiowa.
According to him, INEC was not able to send materials to about 46 polling units resulting in election not holding in a number of polling units and wards.
“It is therefore preposterous for one Dr. Innocent Ezekude and his so-called league of Ogbaru professionals who were not on ground to have made such spurious insinuations about what they know through third party sources.
“Given the pockets of recorded incidents that fouled the fairness of the election, including election not holding in about 46 polling units, the Electoral team on ground assured all the parties that a rerun is inevitable,” he said.
AOIC averred that in spite of the intimidation and coercion, Mr Arinzechukwu Awogu of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was leading the contest ahead of Mr Afam Ogene of the Labour Party.
The group thanked the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra for studying and appreciating the anomalies that marred the process and mutilations, refused to accept the result and opted for rerun.
Akue called on INEC to quickly arrange a rerun and further scrutinise the earlier results that have been tampered with to enable the body bring the Ogbaru House of Representatives election to conclusion.
“TheLabour Party, led by their Capone from Nsugbe, rewrote, this has nothing to do with Gov. Chukwuma Soludo who was busy casting his vote at his Isuofia polling booth.
“Under the cover of the night of Feb 26 and Feb. 27 the Capone from Nsugbe and his gang swooped down on Ogbaru local government office where the collation was going on and falsified figures in favour of their candidate.
“In Spite of intimidation and coercion, Comrade Awogu of APGA still won Hon. Afam Ogene with a margin of 2891 votes.
“It was these factors which ordinarily infringe on INEC rules of engagement that rightly makes it imperative that rerun be held in polling units and wards where election did not hold and scrutiny of the returned figures.
