(Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP)
There’s a plot to bomb INEC’s offices in Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, PDP alleges
Atiku leads with 29,041 votes in Benue, ex- minister Abba Moro wins
The Independent National Electoral Commission in Akwa Ibom State has cancelled results of Saturday’s presidential election in Udung Uko Local Government Area.
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, disclosed this yesterday in Uyo, saying the commission took the decision based on widespread electoral violence, ballot box snatching by armed thugs that pervaded the council during the election.
Igini condemned the attack on the Collation Officer for the area, Emeka Adizua and other Corp members by some thugs and blamed the political class for trying to scuttle the electoral process
He said it situation as unfortunate that politicians who were are the beneficiary of the system are the greatest threat to the system.
“The consequence of that action is that there will be no result from that area. Intimidation is getting too much. Please stop intimidations. We are out for openness but politicians are out for chaos.
“We have not done anything to undermine the process, this intimidation should stop and it is getting too much. The era of ballot box snatching and writing of result is over,” he said.
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Narrating his ordeal, Adizua while reporting said, “The hoodlumsAll the INEC ad-hoc staff deployed for the elections were attacked by the hoodlums.”
“The thugs were led by a party stalwart identified as Okon Usung. They took away card readers, held some ad-hoc staff hostage. If not for the area Commander, Oron, maybe I would have been dead by now.
“The entire local government was marred by violence and snatching of ballot boxes by the political thugs. That is why there is no result from the area,” he said.
In a related development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and elders of the state yesterday alleged that a former governor was plotting to bomb INEC’s office in Ikot Ekpene and Uyo.
According to them, the allegation become necessary because of the tension being created, as a result of the outcome of last Saturday’s polls.
But reacting to the claims, Spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Esime Eyiboh, dismissed the allegations, saying they were spurious and untrue.
However, Presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar is leading with 29, 041 votes in the result of the presidential election so far declared in Benue State.
The results show that Atiku has polled a total of 264,863 votes, while President Mohammedu Buhari of the APC has garnered 235, 822 votes as at press time.
The results also indicated that Atiku has won 13 of the 19 local government areas so far declared in the state.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, has been declared winner of Benue South senatorial seat, by polling 84,162 votes to defeat Steve Lawani of the APC who garnered 47,972 votes, Mike Onoja who scored 29,901 votes, and Usman Abubakar of APGA who polled 5,504 votes.
