Three aspirants for the Okpohsi Ward One Councillorship position on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have called for the cancellation of the primary election held on Friday.
The ward councillorship aspirants, including Igwe Frank Arinze, Ali Uchenna Ugadu and Agbo Sunday Agbo, also urged the Chairman of the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC), Barrister Josy Eze, and APC State Chairman, Stanley Okoro Emegha, to cancel the election.
They alleged that gross irregularities, intimidation, and crises characterized the exercise in an alleged attempt to impose a candidate on the people.
They made this known in their joint petition to Governor Francis Nwifuru, which was copied to the APC State Chairman in the state.
The trio said they decided to notify the governor about the alleged crisis-ridden councillorship primary election on Friday, May 31, 2024, at Community Primary School, Ndiagu Igube, Umuakpu Ngbo, in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state, for appropriate action to be taken to avert further escalation.
They accused the electoral officer, Friday Onwe, and his team of openly conspiring to cause crises during the election by aiding and abetting electoral fraud, wherein, after counting the votes of the incumbent councillor, Mr. Henry Okpe, their votes were not counted.
The aggrieved aspirants said their pleas to the electoral officer to count their votes fell on deaf ears as he (Friday Onwe) declared that he was instructed to only count the incumbent councillor’s supporters.
“Before we could say anything further, the thugs, who were readily available for the eventual instruction, immediately descended on our voters, who queued behind us, and began to unleash mayhem on us.
“A Corolla car belonging to Igwe Frank Arinze was destroyed on the spot, while many people sustained injuries as they were beaten up and stoned.
“Consequent upon the above, we cry unto the peace-minded Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Bldr. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, the Chairman of Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC), and the State Chairman of our great party to intervene in this matter to avert further escalation of the crises.
“We condemn in its entirety the heinous act meted out to the unsuspecting electorate and request that the result be declared in favor of Igwe Frank Arinze, who had the longest line, or alternatively cancel the election and fix another date and venue for a credible election.
“We reassure the party of our unflinching commitment to the survival and success of APC in the state,” they added.
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