The Ebonyi State All Progressives Congress has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to nullify the outcome of National Assembly elections held in five local government areas in the State on Saturday due to the rejection of the results. During a press conference at the old government house on Monday, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, the Chairman of the party in the State, revealed his party’s position. The affected local government areas are Afikpo North, Ezza North, Ivo, Onicha, and Ohaukwu.
Emegha alleged that opposition parties had deliberately nullified votes cast in the Party’s favour, and the Party had evidence of irregularities, including thumb-printing of ballot papers, harassment of party agents, and violence against party members that resulted in the killing of its agent in Izzi LGA of Ebonyi. He stated that the Party had submitted a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) resident electoral commissioner in the State concerning the issues and urged the commission to request a forensic examination of the ballot papers and other voting materials from the affected areas.
According to Emegha, the Party had received credible information that opposition parties in the affected areas had tampered with the ballots. They deliberately manipulated the votes by double thumb-printing in favour of the APC and thereby making them void, with the connivance of the security agencies. The Party also alleged that there was manipulation through the diversion of voting materials to secret locations for thumb-printing by the opposition against the party. Emegha reiterated that such acts were unacceptable and called on INEC to cancel the results in the affected areas. He also expressed disappointment in the security agencies’ failure to ensure credible elections in the State.
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