Alex Otti: Thugs invade Abia INEC office as LP vows to resist rigging

The incident, which happened in the afternoon of Sunday, March 19, 2023, has led to the disruption of the governorship election results collation for Obingwa LGA.

INEC made this known in a terse message posted on its Twitter page, where the commission also called the attention of security agencies to the development.

"Thugs have invaded our Obingwa Local Government Area office in Abia State. Security agencies have been alerted. The Commission is monitoring the situation and will issue a statement shortly," INEC tweeted.

This comes amid reports of an alleged attempt by the governor of the State, Okezie Ikpeazu, to manipulate the results in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The results announced so far by INEC in 10 out of the 17 LGAs in the state showed that Labour Party candidate, Alex Otti, is leading but by a very close margin.

With seven LGAs to go, the Labour Party has now alleged that Ikpeazu was actively involved in an attempt to upturn the victory of Otti by holding INEC officials hostage at Obingwa LG in order to manipulate the results already compiled.

This allegation was contained in a statement signed by the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, on Sunday.

The party also called the public attention to a similar development in Enugu State where it claimed that its governorship candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, was leading virtually in all the LGAs announced.

However, Abure accused Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of doctoring results from the Enugu North Senatorial zone to make for the lost ground.

The statement partly read: "Today, we are again witnessing a situation where a sitting Governor in Abia state is fully involved in an attempt to upturn the victory of the Labour Party candidate, Alex Otti, in the Abia State governorship election that has been clearly won by our candidate.

"The same scenario is presently playing out in Enugu state where Labour Party’s candidate Chijioke Edeoga is presently leading in virtually all the Local Governments so far announced.

"As we speak, INEC staff are held hostage at Obingwa Local Govt by Governor Ikpeazu and his cohorts to rewrite the results already compiled by INEC officials despite order from the election body asking their staff to head to Umuahia to collate results for the election, which is in favour of Labour’s Alex Otti.

"This is one robbery too many. While Nigerians are yet to get over the ugly rape of a democratic process in last month presidential election by the ruling party at the centre, the PDP has been found engaged in the most shameless manner and disregard for the rights of the citizens.

"We therefore call on the Inspector General of Police to intervene and ensure the transfer of all electoral materials to Umuahia where the sanctity of the election and safety of the officials in charge can be guaranteed.

"Ikpeazu cannot rig election in his local government which he lost in the Senatorial elections on the 25th.

"Similarly, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who lost woefully in the last election in Enugu North Senatorial zone is presently doctoring the results from the zone with the help of some compromised INEC staff and Police to ensure that PDP is returned elected in the state against the wishes of the electorate.

"We have endured what no other political party in the country has endured in the last few weeks because we believe in due process but it appears this is taken for granted. But we may not be patient for too long.

"Let me sound it for the first time that we will resist every attempt by the PDP in Abia and Enugu States to upturn our mandate.

"It should be recalled that the PDP in both states had issued threat to opposition parties, which was specifically targeted at Labour Party after sweeping the states during the presidential election, this threat is already manifesting that the ruling party was only interested in rigging elections.

"The Labour Party had thoroughly reviewed all infractions and we have vowed to never again allow the use of foul means to usurp power as it was done in the past and merely ask us to to go to court.

"If this is not addressed, we will be left with no choice other than to mobilise OBIdients all over the country to take over the streets across the length and breathe of the country.

"We have particularly reviewed the rigging of Edo state house assembly elections election, including other affected states and we are putting evidences of infractions in place to name and shame all democratic criminals.

"We have therefore, resolves that in as much as we remain a law-abiding political party, conducting our affairs strictly within the ambit of our nation’s electoral laws, the party will henceforth resist rigging and we will move to the streets to reclaim our stolen mandates.

"We will henceforth directly and physically confront and resist the election riggers from always having a field day in seizing our democratic institutions and circumventing the rules during elections. We have directed our supporters across the country to get ready for our signal to take over the streets.

"Enough is enough!"