Some Professors in Michael Okpara University Umudike (MOUAU) who are serve as returning officers in the forthcoming general elections in Abia state have been warned against been used to rig the election in favour of All Progressive Congress.
The state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Johnson Onuigbo who issued the warning during a media parley in Umuahia said that the party has uncovered an holy alliance between the Umudike dons to alter the election results against the state ruling party.
Chief Onuigbo said that the alleged plan between the Professors and the APC in the state to manipulate the outcome of the election result was uncovered shortly after the polls shift.
He said that his party was in possesion of clear evidence of a concluded plans for the Professors to work for APC and manipulate election results shortly after voting.
“We have gotten their names, the names are right now in our custody and we won’t mention them until at appropriate time”, he said.
According to him, the party want to alert the world of the grand plans and disclosed that the names of the professors are with them and their names would be mentioned at the appropriated time.
On the postponement of last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assenbly polls, Chief Onuigbo urged INEC to allow democracy work in Nigeria by allowing a free, fair and credible election as well ensure a level playing ground for all political parties.
He lamented that the postponement has caused huge economic losses to Nigerians considering that many travelled to different locations to exercise their franchise.
The State PDP boss who described the postponement as good omen for the party noted that while PDP was busy campaigning in the state for the election, the APC were nowhere to be sighted in the state but banking on rigging in the state.
He alleged that APC in Abia had card readers and election result sheets were already in their possesion waiting before the last Saturday’s polls postponement.
“I want to make it clear that nobody will take Abia by rigging, Abia is PDP state and we will resist any attempt from any quarter to rig PDP in Abia”, he vowed.
Onuigbo therefore called on residents not to be discouraged by the postponement but to come out enmass on Saturday February 23rd to cast their votes for PDP.
In the same vein, the state Chairman of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Hon Chidi Nwosu blamed INEC for the postponement, pointing out that the electoral body has failed Nigerians despite promises of readiness made to conduct the election.
Nwosu assured Abians not to be deterred by the current development, assuring that INEC would do the needful to conduct free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.
Also against the backdrop of postponed Presidential and National Assembly Election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the State Chapter of the All Progressive grand Alliance (APGA), Rev Augustine Ehimere also pointed accusing fingers on the state ruling People’s Democratic Party(PDP) of plotting to rig the election.
Rev Ehiemere who was presented by the Deputy Chairman of the Party, Chima Onyekwere at the media briefing said that the party in the State received the postponement wiith great shock and disappointment.
He recounted losses experienced by Nigerians as a result of the postponement of the elections and disclosed that the attention of the Party was drawn to an alleged plan by the PDP to have rigged the postponed election in the State.
“The plan if carried through would not have only denied Abia people the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights in choosing their leaders through the ballot but might have trigger chaains of violent reaction and endanger the lives of the public as they filed out enmasse to cast their votes”
According to him, part of the plans was burst on the eve of the election when an alleged Gauis was arrested somewhere in Umuahia by the Police for being in possession of INEC sensitive documents and already completed results sheets that gave PDP victory ahead of the postponed Presidential and National Assembly election.
