Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Umuahia Branch, Abia, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to come out clean on the Abia governorship election so as not to trample on the democratic rights of the people.
Briefing the press on the imbroglio surrounding the state governorship election held on Saturday, which INEC had declared inconclusive, NBA chairman, Umuahia, Barr. Jasper Ejimofor, noted that there were moves to trample on “the democratic rights of Abians and prevent them from having the person they have unanimously voted for as their go up.”
The chairman said as a professional body desirous of ensuring justice, unity, peace and stability of the State, the association could not stand aloof at this point in time, especially when it was obvious that there were moves to trample on the democratic rights of Abians, noting with sadness, the controversy surrounding the 18th March 2023 Abia governorship election.
According to the association, there were overwhelming evidence emanating from INEC indicating that the Labour Party governorship candidate, Dr. Alex Otti, won the governorship election with a very wide margin.
The association said since INEC had already declared 16 local government areas and the Labour Party candidate was leading with over 90,000 votes, and the remaining one local government area of Obingwa which had less than 27,000 accredited voters as captured in INEC’S data, there were no justifiable reasons why INEC should continue to delay the declaration of Otti as the winner of the election.
It said the delay in declaring the true winner of the election was causing unnecessary tension in the state, and this tension could snowball into serious crisis and breakdown of law and order, the association said.
“We therefore enjoin INEC to declare Alex Otti of Labour Party as the winner of the governorship election to save the state the avoidable disaster that is looming.
“We also call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the INEC National Chairman, the National Body of NBA, NUJ, Civil Society groups, Heads of Security Agencies and other respected citizens and institutions to entertain and prevent the bloodbath this could lead to,” the statement summed.
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