Declare Abia-North senatorial poll inconclusive, PDP tells INEC

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the senatorial election it conducted in Abia North Senatorial Zone last Saturday inconclusive.

The party made the call on Thursday in a statement issued by its state publicity secretary of the party, Sir Don Ubani, saying decided to reject the results as announced by the commission after a critical review of the exercise.

According to the party, following the conclusion of an emergency meeting of its State Working Committee (SWC) presided over by the chairman of the party in the state, Sir Johnson Onuigbo, where a critical review of the election, including unlawful manipulations and unjustifiable cancellations, it was agreed that, at best, the election was inconclusive and should be so declared by INEC.

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“Rule 33(e) of INEC Regulations and Guidelines For The Conduct Of Elections, 2019, stipulates that where the number of cancelled votes outnumbers the difference in a vote of a ‘leading candidate,’ such election shall be deemed to be inconclusive.

“From what the Independent National Electoral Commission purports to have as result of Abia-North senatorial election, the gap between the senatorial candidate of All Progressives Congress, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, and the candidate of our party; Distinguished Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, is only ten thousand and four hundred votes.

“On the other hand, votes cancelled in Arochukwu and Nkporo alone amount to more than thirty-eight thousand. By the aforesaid Rule 33(e) of INEC Regulations and Guidelines, Saturday’s senatorial election in Abia-North should have been declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission because the margin of lead between the leading candidates which is 10,400 (ten thousand four hundred) is less than the cancelled votes of over 38,000 (thirty-eight thousand).