Abia deadlock, a travesty of justice

SIR: The contrived deadlock of the Abia State governorship elections, which is fast turning out to be one of the few very black spots in the otherwise reasonably peaceful 2015 general elections that took place on March 28 and April 11, is uncalled for and calculated to deny Dr. Victor Okezie Ikpeazu and Abia people their victory, as the facts here under will show clearly.

At the Umuahia collation centre, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had collated, declared and announced results based on the entry in its EC8D form, which showed the PDP candidate, Dr. Victor Okezie Ikpeazu, as the clear winner, having secured 248,459 votes. This is more than the required 25% of total valid votes cast in two-thirds of the 17 local governments.

Dr. Ikpeazu’s closest rival was Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, who secured 165,406 votes, which are 83,053 less than Ikpeazu’s votes.

The official figures released by INEC and duly signed by Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, Abia State governorship election’s Returning Officer, and all accredited agents of the political parties, including APGA’s, Chief Ahmadi Nweke, show that of the 1,217,632 registered voters in the state, 470,900 were accredited. Of this, there were 439,454 votes cast with 430,561 valid votes and 8,893 rejected votes. The unaccounted-for vote is 31,246. These votes could not be cast in areas where there were no election materials, or as a result of violence.

Dr. Ikpeazu’s commanding lead by 83,053 votes is enough to return him elected because even if the runner-up, APGA’s Dr. Otti, wins the entire 31,246 unaccounted-for votes, his total votes would add up to 196,652, while the PDP candidate, Dr. Ikpeazu’s lead of 248,459 would still make him a clear winner, even though his 83,053 advantage over Otti would be reduced to 51,627.

Therefore, the unwarranted action by INEC to declare the election inconclusive is a travesty of justice. It should not stand. The INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, should intervene in this matter so that the hitherto credible work he has done is not rubbished by the indiscretion of the Abia REC.

This misapplication of justice runs contrary to the positive tones with which results have been received across the nation, because, aside of the party’s (APGA) verbal query of the figure, there was no evidence put forward to remotely suggest that there was any anomaly or breach of electoral rules in the conduct of elections in the state. The nation is reveling at the turnout for the elections, which is a departure from the gloomy picture that the pre-election campaigns painted, and the scattered displays of violence and misconduct. The REC and RO should not short-circuit the nation’s joy.

The calls for free and fair elections which were made severally across the nation and in the media do not end with the parties, but include the electoral agency which was itself a signatory to the Abuja Peace Accord. It cannot now engage in an act of partisan affiliations, which seek to deprive the winner of his victory. The rules are clear and must be followed by declaring Ikpeazu the winner.

Prof. Godwin Nwaguma, abiavanguard@gmail.com