The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atigwe Simon, as the winner of the rerun election for the Udenu/Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency of Enugu State.
INEC returning officer, Prof Nwachukwu J. Obiaku from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka declared the results of the controversial poll.
The election was characterized by missing result sheets. The development resulted in no election in so many polling units.
Declaration the results of the election in an undisclosed location, where a video was made available to journalists on Sunday, Obiaku said that the PDP candidate polled 23,863 votes to defeat Hon. Dennis Agbo of the Labour Party who he said polled a total of 23,226 votes.
“I, Prof Nwachukwu J. Obiaku hereby certify that I am the returning officer for the 2024 Igbo-Eze North/Udenu rerun election held on February 3, 2024. Two the election was contested free and the candidates received the following votes – Obiora Dennis Obetta of ADC scored 129 votes; A.J Obiagere scored 1,812 votes;
“Elochukwu Hygineus of APGA scored 304 votes; Ngwoke Edwin of APP scored 114 votes, Dennis Nnamdi Agbo of LP scored 23,226 votes; Eke George Ude of NNPP scored 261 votes, Atigwe Simon Chukwuemeka of PDP scored 23,863 votes; Ekwereme Anthony Amechi of SDP scored 40 votes; Ugwuodo Kingsley Chukwuma of ZLP scored 142 votes.
“Atigwe Simon Chukwuemeka of PDP having certified of the requirement of the law is hereby declared as the winner and he is returned elected.”
He, however, declared that the election was peaceful, free and fair.
It should be recalled that voters protested against the election following the replacement of the original result sheets meant for the conduct of the by-elections by the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the state, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu.
Hundreds of supporters of the Labour Party in the state had on Saturday morning protested, demanding that the result sheets be provided before the commencement of the election at Robinson Street, Uwani, Enugu, for the Enugu South Urban state constituency.
The situation was also the same in Igbo-Eze North LGA of the state where the by-election for Igbo-Eze North and Udenu Federal Constituency was supposed to take place as voters in Umuida and other communities in Enugu Ezike town, insisted that no election would take place in the area without the original result sheets.
Our correspondent who monitored the polls, observed that trouble had started when Labour Party stakeholders and supporters got wind of an alleged diversion of the result sheets by the EEC and the PDP.
The demonstrations continued until around noon, when the REC, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, came and addressed the agents of the various political parties.
He told them that the original result sheets had been lost and that he had provided an alternative
The REC quickly brought out a photocopy of the 2023 general elections results sheet and told them that he would sign and countersign for that to be used for the election.
However, the agents of LP vehemently rejected the move by the REC to use the 2023 election result sheets for the by-election.
Speaking to newsmen, Chukwu said, “This morning, information reaching to me has it that there’s an issue if missing result booklet for voting to start.
“The political party demanded that, in line with the Electoral Act, every material for the election should be shown to them before the voting will commence.
“When I got the information, I quickly ran to this place to calm the situation and proffer a solution to the problem.
“In line with the Electoral Act, if the result sheet is mutilated or missing, what we’re going to issue is a replacement.
“So, I’m here to tell the world that whatever any person is saying, in line with the law, if any election material is altered before an election is concluded, INEC has every right to issue replacement result sheets or any material in that category.
“So, here is the replacement of the result sheets. So, I’m going to stamp it and I’m going to sign and countersign it so that voting will commence.
“Voting is going to commence very shortly in this Uwani. What we are conducting here is only polling units”.
When journalists asked him how the result sheets were missing, the REC stopped talking and left the interview session.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
