ABIA GUBER: Be Transparent, Declare Obingwa Result According To The Rules – IPAC Charge INEC
Following the resolve of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the governorship election results from Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in the state, has charged the Electoral Body to be transparent and ensure that the laid down guidelines are followed during the review process.
IPAC gave the charge through it’s Abia state chairman, Mr. Ceekay Igara, while speaking to journalists in Umuahia on Tuesday.
The Council while calling on INEC to carry political parties especially IPAC along in its reviewing process, said that Abia state INEC collation staff have all gone to Abuja as at Tuesday, March 21, contrary to the electoral umpire’s assurance that it’s National Commissioner will lead a team from Abuja to Abia state for the election results reviewing process.
“Be transparent in your dealings with political parties. Let us understand what you are doing”.
“Yesterday (Monday), we were told that they are inviting their commissioner to Abia from Abuja to help us. This morning, our national leadership gave us a directive to meet with INEC leadership in Abia only for us to come and we were told that all of them are in Abuja now and that shattered our own arrangements. It’s very frustrating; they should be more transparent with political parties especially IPAC which is a major stakeholder” Igara said.
They also tasked INEC to immediately declare the Abia state governorship election results, adding that in every contest, there must be a winner and a loser.
“without delay, declare the result according to your guidelines. We know there are always winners and losers; once the results are announced, the losers can seek redress in court” Igara said.
IPAC also encouraged Abians to be peaceful and law abiding and not heat up the polity because of an election.
