2023 GUBER ELECTION: Use BVAS In The Review Of Obingwa Results – Abia Youths Charge INEC
On the heel of the controversy trailing the collation of Abia State governorship election from Obingwa Local Government Area of the state, the Progressive Abia Youths (P.A.Y.), has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), in the proposed review of the Obingwa results.
P.A.Y is a nonpartisan organization, and a frontline partner of INEC in the registration and sensitisation of voters for the 2023 general election.
Addressing a World Press conference on Tuesday at it’s office in Umuahia, P.A.Y. lauded INEC for intervening to resolve the controversy trailing the Obingwa LGA result and charged the Electoral umpire to reject every attempt to declare Abia state election inconclusive or force a re-run.
According to the youths led by it’s President General, Comrade Ekejiuba Kingsley, declaring the result inconclusive or ordering for a re-run “will further deepen the pain of voters who mustered the courage to vote after the abject outing of INEC Abia state on February 25, 2023.”
“Any attempt to subvert the will of Abia people will lead to anarchy and we don’t want that” the youths added.
P.A.Y. noted that the BVAS worked effectively in Obingwa although the voter turnout was very low and therefore tasked INEC to use the BVAS in their proposed review.
“we appreciate the intervention of INEC on the unfortunate incidence rising from the governorship election held in Obingwa Local Government Area on March 18, 2023. While we prepare to welcome our National Commission, Barrister Festus Okoye and his team to Abia to review the results from Obingwa, we wish to state the following;
- we have extracted all the polling unit governorship election result from Obingwa on the IReV Portal and as it stands, 81% of the results (252 out of 312 polling units) have been successfully uploaded on the portal.
- voter turnout in Obingwa was terribly low, only about 18% of voters in Obingwa turned out to vote, as witnessed all over the state.
- The BVAS worked excellently well in Obingwa as attested by 74 of our members who worked as ad-hoc staff in Obingwa LGA” P.A.Y. said in a press statement.
The youths further charged politicians and political parties to embrace peace and not set Abia state on fire.
“In every election, there will always be winners and learners. We therefore call on those who lost out in the election to learn from the experience, respect the will of Abia people and appreciate INEC for a job well done.
The beauty of true democracy is displayed in the glamourous advance of public opinion translated into votes at the ballot box.
Abia politicians, don’t set the state on fire; we will not leave you if you do. We have no other place to call home but here. Above all things, the peace and progress of Abia should be your utmost priority” PAY admonished.
Recall that sixteen Local government areas results have been announced so far in Abia state. However, INEC on Monday, ordered the suspension of further collation of results from Obingwa LGA, recalling the invasion of it’s office in Obingwa on Sunday, March 19 during collation.
According to a letter addressed to INEC Abia State, the National Commissioner of the commission will come to Abia state on Tuesday, March 21 with a team to review the Obingwa election results.
Other members of P.A.Y. at the press conference include;
Daniel Chimaobi (Isuikwuato LGA Coordinator).
Elite Chukwudike Onyema (Umuahia south coordinator).
Engineer Nwankwo Daniel Chika (Ohafia LGA).
Happiness Nwokocha (Umuahia south representative/ secretary, P.A.Y).
Adiele Chinedu (Ugwunagbor LGA coordinator).
