Grace Egbo
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has expressed excitement over the conduct of the current elections in Nigeria.
He observed that the recent innovations brought into the election process by the Independent National Electoral Commission have eliminated thuggery and rigging in Nigeria’s elections.
Governor Umahi spoke shortly after casting his vote at his home polling unit, Onuofukuru Umunaga Uburu in Ohaozara local government area.
He challenged other political parties, alleging rigging in the elections to prove their allegations, stressing that no amount of castigation would suppress the fact that the current polls have remained the best in Nigeria’s history.
“The process is well organized.
“I commend INEC very highly.
“INEC has done very wonderfully and beautifully well.
“There are lots of innovations in INEC that eliminated thuggery and rigging.
“Those who are claiming that a particular political party is rigged should be able to prove that and stop inciting the people
“I think Nigeria has reached a stage where elections will always be better because of the innovation brought in by INEC.
“And there is no amount of intimidation and castigation that will deny the fact that the election of 25th February and today’s election remains the best in the history of Nigeria.
“It’s pretty exciting and I am excited by the processes and the innovation.
Meanwhile, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship candidate Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, in his part, while talking to Journalists at his country home, alleged that the ruling party APC are using their thugs to disrupt the election.
He however called on INEC REC, to cancel all the elections where violence and destruction of electoral materials were recorded.
His words “Yes, the report has been coming in from different local governments. You know APC they are very desperate, because if they are prepared for the election, I don’t think They will go about, disrupting the process in Ohaozara, Afikpo North and South, and virtually almost all the local government. That is why I said if you are sure of winning, you will not disrupt the election. What they are doing is burning ballot papers and results that is what they do but we have to talk to security agencies to beef off more security.
“Of course yes, the new electoral act said so when there is violence, INEC electoral commissioner should immediately cancel the elections in the area which I’m sure they have reported and will continue to report”.
Speaking on voters’ apathy, Chief Odii said “In some areas yes, people came out very well and in some areas, because of the trait from the APC government of using thugs, of course, they are doing that and it scared people away. So Security agencies should have been more secure knowing fully well the vital areas.
“For me if not for the violence here and there, I would have said that INEC BVAs are good for the election In Ebonyi State, they disbanded Ebubeagu so we are thinking that the security agencies should have beefed off more security.
with the incidence of electoral violence here and there, is making it very difficult at the moment, I will not be able to rate it.”
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