Our Attention has been drawn to the irregularities, Lapses and Lacuna
discovered in the recently conducted Presidential, Senatorial and House of
Representatives Election held on the 28th March 2015.The Aftermath
as well as the echo still ring bells. The interest of civil society
organizations in the state is strictly on ensuring a free, fair and credible
Election. Suffice it to say that the just concluded election attest to the fact
that much still needs to be done in Subsequent Election with affirmative
result. To this End a whole lot is still expected in the form of training and
awareness creation particularly on Voters Education by the political parties to
their supporters and followers, particularly on the part of electorates
protecting their votes and building synergy with civil society organization
working as an observers.
We observed the growing attention to the failure of card readers, the
wanton and indiscriminate use of incident form which resulted to manual
accreditation thereby violating the electorate Act.
We vehemently condemn the action of some INEC Adhoc Workers who
collaborated with few political parties and their Agents to scuttle the
Election billed to be just.
Areas where these irregularities were highly witnessed are Osisioma,
Obingwa, Umuahia North and Aba South LGAs.In Obingwa for instance there was a
total registered Voters of 98,253 whose preference were largely tilted towards
a candidate of a political party which was alleged that was short changed by a
political party senatorial candidate who got a total vote of 64,899 block votes
which is presently contested has been flawed. Petition submitted by the
candidate of the political party is attached to this release and pictures of
the youths protesting outside the Aba-South Local Coalition center yesterday.
The same incident was also experienced in Umuahia North LGA where the
people choice was circumvented by the incumbent Governor who is vying for the
Abia central senatorial zone as alleged by the party Agents and other
observers. In Osiosima LGA there was issue of Bomb scarce which naturally
prevented enthusiastic and eager voters from coming out enmass to exercise
their franchise, there are all acts of manipulation and security breach. In Aba
South an electoral officer was arrested in ward 9 for aiding and abetting
irregularities in the process of Election. In Aba Ward 6 precisely it was
witnessed that materials arrived late at about 12noon in the afternoon, and
this was in the same in most polling units observed in the Election.
We the undersigned organizations therefore demand the following.
1.Total cancellations of the Elections conducted in the mentioned
Local Government Areas and those erring Adhoc INEC Officers dealt with
immediate disciplinary Action.
2. Consistent emphasis on the early
arrival of election materials in the subsequent Elections
3. INEC should ensure
functional card Readers are used for the subsequent Elections
In Conclusion we commend
the Electorate for their peaceful and the manner they conducted themselves
during the Election and the large numbers of voters who troop in enmass to cast
their votes and hope the same will be replicated in the April 11 Gubernatorial
and House of Assembly Elections.
Signed;
Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy
& Development (FENRAD)
Ruth Kalu
LICO Development Foundation
Comrade Innocent Nwokocha Anozie
Society for Economic Rights & Social Justice
(SERSJ)
Comrade Cassius Ukwugbe
Human Rights, Justice & Peace
Foundation (HRJPF)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please restrict your comment to the subject matter.