We’ll contest outcome of Ebonyi gubernatorial election in Court — PDP

Forum 1 year ago

We’ll contest outcome of Ebonyi gubernatorial election in Court — PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Thursday said it will contest the outcome of the 2023 Governorship and House of Assembly elections that took place on 18th March, in the State.

Briefing newsmen at the Party’s Campaign office in Abakaliki, the Chairman of the Party, Mr Ifeanyi Nworie alleged that the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, were not only concocted but also designed to give victory to the APC added that “INEC never acquitted itself creditably with patriotism and the high sense of responsibility expected of it.”

But in a quick reaction, the APC Publicity Secretary, Simbad Chidi Ogbuatu insisted that it was the PDP that believe in the manipulation of results and violence, not the APC.

“It’s interesting that the PDP is now crying foul in Ebonyi State. It is laughable that the PDP is now saying that they will challenge the outcome in Court. It is their right. The Governor-elect’s Victory is an appreciation for what the incumbent Governor has done in the State.

“We went to all the 13 LGAs telling the people why they should vote for us. They got it wrong when they got a Southern, to take over from a Southern. The Charter of Equity must stand. Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim told his people to vote for equity, fairness and justice because that is the right thing to do.”

Continuing, the Party Chairman further alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, employed the services of the State’s Vigilante groups to perpetrate mayhem during the last election as some members of the Party were either killed or suffered one form of bodily harm or the other.

He said: “Gentlemen of the press, it is obvious that what happened on the 18th was a melodramatic replay of what happened during the Presidential/National Assembly Election of 25th February, 2023. We wish to hereby state categorically and unequivocally that the APC perfected a pre-determined charade in collaboration with INEC announced concocted results, which were absolutely condemnable and unacceptable to us.

“The people of Ebonyi State attest to the fact that there is a pall of gloom, disquiet and discontentment in the state since the release of the concocted results, which the Independent National Electoral Commission in Ebonyi State manufactured to deny the PDP candidate his hard-earned victory following his very impressive showing due to his mass followership by Ebonyi people and his state-wide acceptability.

“They have murdered the sleep of Ebonyians but the murderers will not sleep until they restore the people’s mandate to the legitimate owner.

“Consequently, it has become expedient for us to express our disgust, indignation and dissatisfaction over the spurious manufacture of results that upturned the victory against our illustrious and promising candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii.

“We unflinchingly state that our candidate was duly elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast in the election for the office of the Governor of Ebonyi State.

Our opponents in APC resorted to electoral manipulations, violence, killings and the desecration of electoral rules.

“In Ezza North LGA, the Chairman of PDP in the Council Area was murdered by elements believed to be APC thugs on election day. The same thing happened in Onicha Igboeze, where a PDP agent was shot dead in similar circumstances.

“We note that in the build-up to the commencement of electioneering campaigns in the country, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) stripped the opposition of a level playing field by denying them campaign venues, generated and unleashed multiple modes of conflict and sporadic attacks determinedly perpetrated to perfect disruptions, violence, vandalism, snatching of electoral materials, voter intimidation and suppression, manipulations of results and a plethora of fraudulent practices during the elections.

“The APC eminently applied the services of the Ebubeagu security operatives which transformed to Neighbourhood Watch to oppress members of the opposition political parties in the state and intimidate voters on the election day.”