The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has okayed the Declaration of the botched Senatorial Election for Abia North Senatorial District as Inconclusive,PUO REPORTS has exclusively learnt from Source at the Headquaters of the Commission in Abuja.
It was gathered that The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Abia State, Dr. Joseph Iloh had during the meeting of the Chairman of INEC and Resident Electoral Commissioners presented verifiable evidences that the Total Number of Votes cancelled by the Returning Officer of the Senatorial District exceeded the margin that DR Orji UZOR Kalu of the All Progressive Congress purportedly won.
Rule 33(e) of INEC Regulations and Guidelines For The Conduct Of Elections, 2019, stipulates that where the number of cancelled votes outnumber the difference in vote of a ‘leading candidate’, such election shall be deemed to be inconclusive.
From what the Independent National Electoral Commission purports to have as result of Abia-North senatorial election, the gap between the Senatorial Candidate of All Progressives Congress, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, and the Candidate of our Party; Distinguished Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, is only ten thousand and four hundred votes.
On the other hand, votes cancelled in Arochukwu and Nkporo alone amount to more than thirty-eight thousand.
By the aforesaid Rule 33(e) of INEC Regulations and Guidelines, Saturday’s senatorial election in Abia-North should have been declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission because the margin of lead between the leading candidates which is 10,400 (ten thousand four hundred) is less than the cancelled votes of over 38,000 ( thirty eight thousand).
However the REC in Abia insisted that only the National Chairman Prof Mamoud Yakubu has the final say over the embattled Senatorial District.
It was gathered on Thursday that the Commission has okayed the Declaration of the Result as Inconclusive.