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Thugs raze INEC office

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The office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Mgboko, headquarters of Obingwa Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State was on Sunday set ablaze by suspected political thugs.

The thugs armed with knives, cutlasses and guns stormed the local government before setting the electoral office on fire.

This action comes ahead of the August 10th date fixed for the commencement of the state election tribunal. Results from the local government are among many strongly being contested.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Daviotu Onyeke, confirmed he incident, saying that full investigation had commenced to unravel the cause of the fire.

Controversy has already enveloped the incident, with accusations and counter-accusations, as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) are trading blames as it was suspected that electoral materials might have been destroyed in the inferno.

Obingwa, where Governor Okezie Ikpeazu hails from, is among the disputed areas in the 2015 governorship election.

Read also: Tragic! INEC commissioner, family perish in fire

An SMS circulated by a source close to government said APGA agents were behind the incident.

“Persons suspected to be stalwarts of APGA this morning set the building housing INEC office at Mgboko, Obingwa headquarters on fire.

“Eyewitnesses said they came with weapons such as guns, axes, and knives and gallons of fuel and were chanting APGA victory songs and brandishing APGA emblems,” the source said.

But the state APGA Chairman, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, denied the allegation, saying it was a smoke screen by the PDP-led administration to cover its “ fraud at the polls”.

Ehiemere expressed shock that anybody would look in the direction of APGA for the dastardly act when APGA needs the electoral materials in the burnt INEC office to strengthen its petition at the tribunal.

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