Ikpeazu Calls for Removal of Abia REC, Returning Officer

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has called for the removal of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Celina Oko and the Returning Officer, Prof Benjamin Ozumba before the planned supplementary election will take place. Ikpeazu, in a statement made available to THISDAY, said: “It is obvious that both the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commission for Abia State, Professor Mrs. Celina Oko and the Returning Officer, Professor Benjamin Ozumba, didn’t hide their bias in declaring the Abia governorship election inconclusive where there is a clear winner with wide margin.”

Ikpeazu expressed belief that the Prof. Attahiru Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will encounter a credibility and integrity crisis if it fails to declare him winner of the April 11 governorship election in the state.

Ikpeazu, who according to reports, polled 248,459 votes against Chief Alex Otti of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) who scored 165,407, argued that with 83,053 votes ahead of Otti, that he is already a winner and should have been declared winner by the election umpire.

According to him, “The case of Abia state governorship election result will definitely raise so much credibility and integrity questions against Professor Jega and INEC. It is unheard of that in an election where the winner has 83,053 votes against loser is declared inconclusive.

“INEC has accepted and announced result from the 17 local government areas of Abia, and I scored 248,459 while Alex Otti got 165,407, which means that Otti has 83,053 votes deficit, instead of declaring me winner, the Resident Electoral Commission for Abia State, Prof. Mrs. Celina Oko, who I later got to understand is a relative of Otti, got a willing partner in the person of Prof. Ozumba.

“Going from the result already announced and entered into INEC form EC8D, by INEC which is summary of results from the 17 local government areas of Abia State, collated at the state level, declared and duly signed by Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, and all the accredited agents of political parties in the state collation center in Umuahia, including Chief Ahamdi Nweke, ofAPGA, and Dr. Solomon Ogunji of the PDP, shows I am the winner of the election.