The Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo State, Prof. Francis Ezeonu, has raised the alarm over the abduction of some ad hoc staff of the commission in Ngor Okpala bye-election.
Ezeonu, who disclosed this on Saturday while briefing the press, said the abducted ad hoc staff were taken to unknown destination where they were forced to thump print some hijacked ballot papers.
“We have received the report of violence of election and corruption of polls on some polling units and attacks on our personnel. So far no casualty has been reported.
“Security has been up and doing their work to rescue some of our staff trapped in the violence. We remain grateful to them and pray that they succeed in the work they are doing.
“We have noticed with great worries the abduction of some of our ad hoc staff with the election materials towards the end of the polls. While the earlier violence started with snatching materials it ended with the abduction of our staff, ballot papers and materials.
“Some of our abducted adhoc staff were blindfolded and taken to unknown destinations where they were compelled to thump print the ballot papers.
“We wish to reassure the general public that the results manufactured from unknown places will not be collected. The number of votes caste must be tallied with the number of accredited voters,” he stated
Meanwhile, the People Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressive Congress (APC) of kidnapping the INEC ad hoc staff in a desperate attempt to rig the election.
In a statement released on Saturday, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu, the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described as “despicable and fraudulent the hijacking of INEC sensitive materials by political thugs suspected to be loyal to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).”
According to him, “the stealing of the INEC materials came after the news had gone to the public that the PDP candidate was leading in virtually all the polling booths and electoral wards in Ngor Okpala LGA”
He maintains that for the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Blyden Amajirionwu to be defeated in his own polling booth is a confirmation that the PDP candidate, Hon Jeff Nwachukwu was truly ahead of his closest challenger.
Anyanwu therefore calls on the security agencies in the state to immediately apprehend those behind the stealing and hijack of the election materials, while appealing to PDP supporters to remain calm.
The PDP National Scribe added that his party will never accept anything less than free, fair and credible election, while commending party faithful for resisting all intimidations by APC to rig the poll.
