Protest, Monday, rocked Umuahia the Abia State capital as constituents of Senator Mao Ohuabunwa representating Abia North, took to the street, demanding the immediate restoration of his “stolen mandate”.
The protesters numbering about two hundred stormed Abia Government House where they ventilated their greviances before marching to the state House of Assembly where they made similar protest.
They chanted solidarity songs in favour of Ohuabunwa and brandished placards with various inscriptions such as : “Restore Ohuabunwa’s stolen mandate,” INEC do the needful “, among others.
The protesters claimed Ohuabunwa was not treated fairly by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, during the polls.
Spokesman of the protesters and the Director General of his Campaign Organisation, Chief Ndubuisi Eke, who addressed officials and journalists at the Government House gate said they came to draw the attention of the Governor to the injustice.
He said it was a gross injustice for INEC to issue certificate of return to the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Orji Uzor Kalu who was never declared winner of the contest.
Chief Eke said the margin of win was far less than the total number of canceled votes, hence, a rerun ought to have been rescheduled.
His words : “We are here to create the awareness that somebody is being cheated. We want the Governor to know that somebody is being cheated.
“Abia North wants Ohuabunwa’s stolen mandate to be restored. We want government intervention because what INEC did in Abia North was serious injustice “.
The protesters were received at the Government House gate by the Chief Security Officer of the Governor, Emeka Ubani who collected their address on behalf of his principal.
He said the Governor ,his Deputy and other top government functionaries were all away for state functions but promised to deliver their address to the Governor.
Wawa News
