Ikpeazu challenges INEC REC, Oti, to name those behind attempted bribe during result collation

The returning officer for the March 18 governorship election in the state, Prof. Nnenna Oti, has been challenged by Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, the governor of Abia State, to name those who intimidated and tried to bribe her while compiling the poll results in Umuahia.

Ikpeazu, on Friday, claimed that the returning officer’s behavior both during and after the election undermined his trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Oti, the vice chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), in Imo State, has been sharing tales of how she endured bullying before and during the collation of results in Umuahia but refused to be intimidated.

In a discussion with media in Umuahia, the governor issued the challenge and said that Oti had made it plain that she intended to carry out a “hatchet job” against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state based on her comments made following the election.

Additionally, he charged Oti with violating the expected impartiality of INEC officials by joining in the victory dance of Labour Party (LP) candidate for governor, Dr. Alex Otti.

Ikpeazu revealed that although the INEC officials had reassured him that they had faith in the returning officer, he had yet expressed some concerns about her.

The Governor also denied meeting or having contacts with the returning officer and accused her of making too much noise out of nothing.

He said; “I wish I knew those who bullied her. I think she has been making too much noise out of nothing. The returning officer’s duty is essentially to tally results already collated from the wards through the local government and declare them. She can’t change results because she has no right to do that unless she went ahead and did something like that. But her reactions have betrayed the fact that she was overly excited about something.

READ ALSO:Ikpeazu sacks all aides after losing elections

“When you come to that kind of position dispassionately, whatever be the outcome should not excite you. But the victory dance she participated in and her statements, which are akin to confessions, have betrayed the fact that she came for a hatchet job. It could be to reject or accept some results.

“I want the world to know that she is celebrating what she has no right to do. I have never met her before; I don’t have her telephone number, but I’m aware that if she came to do the right thing, she has no right to change anything. In fact, she has no right to even reject results because those results were generated from the polling units and wards. Her celebration is unfortunate and unbecoming of somebody who was given that kind of responsibility at that level.”

Ikpeazu further dismissed allegations that the collation of results was disrupted in Obingwa LGA. He stated that his investigations revealed that there was a plot to cancel all results from Obingwa LGA, which was resisted by youths of the area.

The Governor alleged that the refusal to collate results at the ward level and attempt to move the collation centre to Umuahia angered the youths of the area.

He continued: “I’m not aware of the hostage-taking of any electoral officer in Obingwa LGA. I visited the area, but before I got there, the Commissioner of Police in charge of election in Abia South was there. The Police Area Commander for Aba was there. The DSS was there. And when these high-ranking officers of these agencies go to such places, they do so with a retinue of their men.

“In fact, there was an armoured personnel carrier manned by soldiers stationed at the local government headquarters. There couldn’t have been a report of holding any election staff hostage. There is a limit to what I can say because the matter is already at the election petition tribunal.”

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