Labour Party governorship candidate in the last Saturday’s election, Chief Alex Otti stormed Abuja on Tuesday vowing that his victory at the polls so far cannot be upturned.
The LP candidate who spoke in a press conference in Abuja said with his 172000 votes in 10 local governments against PDP’s 80,000, he maintained a distant lead in the 16 local governments areas already announced by INEC.
According to him, every attempt allegedly made by the Peoples Democratic Party to manipulate the election in Isialangwa North and Obingwa Local Government Areas were resisted and hence they resorted to violence.
He explained that the two collation officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission were held hostage for 36 hours by political thugs for allegedly refusing to compromise the process.
He however said the INEC official later signed the 86000 votes they allegedly smuggled in favour of the PDP under duress to save her life.
Otti said, “I had credible intelligence that the state government was planning to unleash mayhem and I warned the governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and dismantled the plan to rig. Two major LGs were used to attempt to rig. They are Isialangwa North and Obingwa where they unleased their thugs. But the people resisted every attempt made to rig.
“The Obingwa collation centre was under siege by armed men and hoodlums. They descended on major agent of Labour Party, Dr. George Chimezie. As I speak, he’s in an undisclosed location where he is getting medical attention. They took over the collation centre. The returning officer and others resisted and they held them hostage for 36 hours.
“The governor then visited, meaning it had his approval. They wrote 86,000 for Obingwa. The collation officer later signed under duress for her safety. But the results released for two House of Assembly members in Obingwa for which PDP was declared winner were under 27,000. A few questions that Abia people are asking included if it is the same election.
“In the released results, Labour Party has 172,000, while PDP scored less than 80,000. No matter how they do it, it cannot torpedo our victory. We believe that INEC will do the right and they will not change the rules in the middle of the game. We call on our people to remain calm because the BVAS has demystified Obingwa for the first time. The BVAS has proved that there is no more than 30, 000 votes.
“It is our firm belief that INEC will do the right and ensure that only results based on the BVAS will be announced. The figures released by INEC would be made available. I can’t give assurance on behalf of INEC. But for them to intervene and ask for a review meant that they mean well. So far I’m calling on them to do the right thing.
“The governor lost election and he wants to win the governorship at all cost and Abia people have resisted him.”
Otti thanked governorship candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Prof. Greg Ibeh, Accord Party, Emeka Nwakpa and others.
