As Abians anxiously await the announcement of the winner of Saturday’s governorship election, the guber candidate of the Labour Party, Dr Alex Otti has accused the ruling PDP of attempting to rig the results.
Otti while speaking to Journalists at his home on Saturday evening, alleged that agents of the PDP and other undemocratic agents were involved in attempted rigging in Obingwa, the LGA of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and 4 other areas.
Other LGAs listed by Otti include Aba North, Aba South, and Osisioma councils, alleging that the electoral crimes were being committed in connivance with some compromised INEC officials.
In the area he mentioned, Otti complained that BVAS machines were allegedly not used while there was intimidation of Labour Party agents.
He appealed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to intervene in the matter and stop the electoral robbery.
He further insisted that the actual results of votes cast on Saturday and uploaded showed that he was coasting to victory.
But in a reaction on Sunday, the Abia State government denied the accusation.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Eze Chikamnayo, the Abia State government accused Dr Alex Otti and Labour Party of hijacking the roles of INEC and also the Labour Party candidate of uploading fake election results.
Abia govt further accused Otti of allegedly engaging the services of security men to intimidate opponents of the Labour Party, while accusing Otti of recruiting media houses to publish fake election results.
” Government has observed with dismay, an attempt by unscrupulous politicians especially Mr Alex Otti and his Labour Party to hijack the official functions of Independent National Electoral Commission and arrogate to themselves the illegal roles of self-appointed umpires in an election in which they are mere participants.
” We have also observed that Mr Alex Otti’s strategy is to turn around and accuse other political parties of criminalities being perpetrated by the Abia Labour Party and its agents as a decoy to deceive unsuspecting members of the public”, the Abia government reaction read in part.