Ebonyi Governorship: APGA agent, others refuse to sign result sheet

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) agent for the collation and declaration of the governorship election results in Ebonyi, Emmanuel Onwe, on Monday refused to sign the elections result sheet.

An aggrieved Mr Onwe stormed out of INEC collation centre in Abakaliki, the state capital, over perceived irregularities in the elections.

NAN reports that some agents of other political parties also refused to sign the document.

Before staging a walkout, Mr Onwe alleged that the election, which produced Francis Nwifuru of APC as the winner, was a sham.

The party’s candidate in the 25 February senatorial election for Ebonyi South District said that the result uploaded on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) before the official declaration was 188, 649.

He said: “When one adds the 10,682 votes it got from Ishielu Local Government Area (LGA) before the result’s declaration, it will amount to 199, 331.

“The INEC state Returning Officer, however, announced that APC polled a total 199, 131 votes; so how does one reconcile the difference?.”

Mr Onwe, a former state Commissioner for Information in the state, alleged that the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner publicly declared that she was threatened and put under severe pressure.

“The collation officers of Ikwo, Izzi and other councils also declared that they were threatened and harassed,” he said.

He noted that he had unfortunately witnessed the “dark, sad procession to the death of democracy” in the state.

“I can no longer be part of this sham and disgraceful stab on democracy in the state.

READ ALSO: APGA, APC Enugu gov candidates lose their LGA to PDP

“I cannot participate further in this charade and therefore will not sign the result sheet,” he said.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ebonyi, Pauline Onyeka, confirmed publicly that she was threatened in the course of the elections.

“I will not because of threats to me refuse to say the truth.

“I have no right to cancel or alter results and did not assist anybody, irrespective of the threats,” she said.

She urged aggrieved persons to challenge the outcome of the election in court if they were not comfortable with it.

“We will provide all you need to contest the outcome in court,” she said.

(NAN)