Linus Okorie, a candidate for the Labour Party (LP) in the recently completed Ebonyi State senatorial election, has charged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) incorrectly declared David Umahi, the state’s departing governor, as the victor of the Ebonyi South Senatorial election.
A stolen mandate that Umahi was in possession of, according to the two-time member of the House of Representatives, was one that Okorie would recover from the Election Petition Tribunal.
According to Newsmen, Okorie served as a federal representative for the Ohaozara, Onicha, and Ivo constituencies while he was a member of the House of Representatives.
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Speaking to the media in the Ebonyi State capital of Abakaliki, Okorie said that Governor Umahi was ineligible to run for the Senate and had lost the primary.
He said: “I like to say that I’m the presumed winner of the Ebonyi south senatorial zone, conducted on 25th February 2023, irrespective of the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announced APC candidate, David Umahi as a winner.
“I still don’t accept to the extent that I’m in Election Petition Tribunal to retrieve that mandate. I consider that mandate as a stolen mandate, and I’m very dedicated to retrieving it with the provings of the court.
“An election was held on 25th of February, 2023, where governor David Umahi is a candidate for APC, and I was a candidate for Labour Party, LP, and there were other candidates. His supporters, including the local government chairman of Onicha LGA, made thugs that are known APC members and supporters to destroy votes in polling Units within my community and my wards, and that’s the areas of my strength, where ordinarily, I’m expected to harvest the maximum number of votes, just like Umahi did in Umunnaga ward and other wards in Uburu community.
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“They shot people; they burnt BVAS; they burnt ballot papers; they destroyed results in many of my ten (10) polling Units. When you put all these places, including the one that happened in the Isu community in Ugbogologo ward, we have destroyed over ten thousand (10,000) votes.
“If you go to Ivo LGA, in Ngwugwu ward, in the ward collations and after tabulating the results by whatever they have done, Labour Party, LP, which is my party, scored 551votes, while APC scored 290 votes, but instead of entering 551votea that my Party scored, they decided to enter 290 votes to be same with that of APC that scored 290 votes. Taking away 261 votes is stealing of votes. The BVAS are there to confirm it.”
He berated INEC for declaring Umahi as the poll winner despite alleged irregularities during the polls.
Okorie said: “Total results announced by INEC said he (Umahi) won me by the margin of lead, which is 2882 votes. Meanwhile, we have over ten thousand votes, mostly in my areas of strength, my stronghold that were destroyed by APC members.
“The law says that where the margin of lead between the 1st candidate and the 2nd candidate is not more than the total number of the places where election didn’t hold or cancelled, that you shall not return a winner, in other words, 2882 votes compared to ten thousand (10,000) votes, nobody should be declared the winner but should be declared inconclusive.
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“I did a petition when I found out that they (INEC) want to declare him (Umahi), I quoted section 24(3) of the electoral acts, which prohibits the Returning Officer from announcing the results, but because of the pressure mounted on him (returning Officer) he declared that results, is that not stealing?”
“That INEC stole my election, and that governor David Umahi of APC is the recipient of stolen property. And so, INEC stole my election; then Governor David Umahi received the stolen mandate. That’s my stolen mandate. He (Umahi) is holding unto a stolen mandate,” Okorie insisted.
Governor Umahi responded to Okorie’s accusations that his mandate had been stolen by threatening to file a lawsuit so the former lawmaker could explain how he (Umahi) had stolen his mandate.
“I listened to Linus Okorie, and I want to use this opportunity to warn him if he continues to say that he has a stolen mandate. I will take him to court to prove that his mandate was stolen because he has a criminal insinuation. He (Okorie) must prove on who stole his mandate. And he is relatively influencing the outcome of the Tribunal by saying that, and I must stop him (Okorie) from saying it,” Daily Post quoted Umahi saying during a press conference at his office located at the Centenary City, Abakaliki.
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