APGA Condemns Disruption Of Elections In Ebonyi State
By Dominica Nwabufo/Chika Eze/ Nwando Alayande, Abakaliki
The Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Professor Benard Odoh has condemned the alleged shooting of three persons and disruption of elections by thugs in military uniform at Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Odoh, who spoke to newsmen in Abakaliki, said that “I have raised an alarm about what is happening in the ongoing governorship and state House of Assembly elections in Ebonyi state.”
He said; “In my local government, a massive number of thugs, armed men wearing fake army and police uniforms disrupted the election process. They have been on a rampage since morning and moving from one polling unit to another.
“In my ward, at Omege, they came and shot three persons though not dead. They took all the electoral materials that INEC came with. In Nsurak ward, as I speak with you now, they are on a rampage. They came there and snatched the INEC electoral materials and set them ablaze, and all kinds of mayhem going on in Ezza North LGA. This is the situation we are witnessing, I have been in touch with INEC officials.
“It has been a very challenging day for us. All they have done is to disrupt, suppress and dampen the spirit of the voters who ordinarily want to come out and vote.”
“We are not giving up, we will continue to push, even though INEC has ran out of ideas of what to do. They have been muzzled out and even security agencies are trying but their efforts are not enough to contain the number of thugs,” the Governorship candidate said.
Odoh, however, called on the Independent National electoral commission, INEC, to re-conduct the election in the areas that were disrupted by thugs.
When contacted, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Ebonyi State, Mrs Onyeka Ugochi said she has received similar reports and that the Commission was working towards the conduct of election in the affected areas.
She said; “I have gotten so many reports from that Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. We are on the verge of doing something. We will take care of it.”
Mercy Chukwudiebere