-
Says Election plagued with violence, irregularities
-
Demands Justice over killing of Party’s Agent
The gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Prophet Chris Adol Awam has rejected the outcome of March 18 gubernatorial election and the declaration of Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru of All Progressive Congress as Governor-Elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Adol-Awam made this known on Thursday while briefing newsmen at his Ntezi Aba country home, Abakaliki, the State Capital.
He decried that the just concluded governorship election in the 13 Local Government Areas of the state was marred by violence, killing, rigging, mutilation and many other irregularities.
Disclosing that one of his party agents, late Thomas Obodo, was killed in Izzi LGA, while another, Fred Aliobu, was kidnapped in Ikwo Local Government Area and kept in the forest for some days.
Adol-awam, however, called on INEC to cancel the election, adding that the electoral process was flawed with irregularities and produced flawed outcome.
While commending the support of the Ebonyi residents during the gubernatorial campaign in the State, Adol Awam however, described it as a scandalous exhibition over the allegation that he stepped down for the gubernatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Francis Nwifuru ahead of the march polls.
His words: “I must address the shameful pettiness exhibited by the ruling party during the electioneering period. It is highly disheartening to hear that they spread baseless propaganda that I, Prophet Dr Adol Awam of the NNPP,had stepped down from the gubernatorial race. Let me state categorically that such falsehood was inconceivable and never an option for us.
“We have a reputation and a legacy to protect, and we will not be part of any action that could jeopardize our integrity and the trust of our supporters.
“Furthermore, it is with a heavy heart that I extend my condolences to the family of the Late Thomas Obodo, a former party agent of the NNPP, who was killed by thugs in Izzi LGA while protecting the votes of Ebonyians.
“The NNPP is deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident, and we call on the relevant authorities to ensure that justice is served. I also extend my condolences to the PDP over the loss of one of their LGA chairmen.
“Unfortunately, the election was an absolute sham as it was plagued with irregularities, such as failure to use BVAS to upload election results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) in real-time, disenfranchisement of voters, rigging, vote buying, violence and intimidation, manipulation of election results, under-supply of voting materials, over-voting, ballot box stuffing and others are issues of corrupt practices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
“It is on this premise that the NNPP sternly rejects the outcome of the election since it is glaring that the process was flawed. Consequently, a flawed process will eventually produce a flawed outcome. Therefore we call on INEC to cancel the gubernatorial elections in Ebonyi State. We are not alone in this as several other parties have also rejected the results and are in tune with our position.
“It is disheartening to note that the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) failed to live up to its mandate of ensuring a free, fair, and credible election. However, we want to reassure all Ebonyians that we will explore all legal means available to ensure that justice is served. We remain committed to our vision of building a better Ebonyi State, where every citizen can live, work and prosper in a peaceful and secure environment. We urge all Ebonyians to remain calm and law-abiding as we pursue the legal process to reclaim our mandate.
”Once again, I thank all Ebonyians who supported us throughout this journey,and I assure you that the NNPP will continue to stand for justice, equity, and fairness in Ebonyi State,”he stated.
