Abia election: Gov Ikpeazu’s victory, an open stealing – APC

The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Comrade Benedict Godson, has vowed that the party leadership was undeterred in its avowed commitment and determination to recover what he termed “stolen mandate,” which he claimed, was allegedly carried out by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Godson, who made the party’s position known in a press conference with select journalists in Umuahia, on Wednesday, berated the PDP for allegedly perpetrating excessive rigging in the just concluded 2019 general elections in the state.
DAILY POST had reported that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was declared the winner of the 2019 gubernatorial election in Abia State.

Ikpeazu polled the total number of 261,127 to defeat Uche Ogah of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
He was declared winner by the INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba.
Godson, however, explained, “APC candidates that were robbed of their mandate, I can assure you, we are going to recover the mandates. Because, there were a lot of frauds during the just concluded election by our brothers in PDP. It is obvious and open that irregularities marred the exercise.

“Let me make a reference with when former Governor, and current senator representing Abia central zone, Theodore Orji during the national assembly election, went to visit INEC REC in the state. I raised an alarm, granted series of news interview to draw the attention of every Abian, in the interference of the electoral processes by the ex-Abia governor.”
He continued, “The former Governor’s response when asked on his visit to INEC REC, Dr. Joseph Iloh , he said he(Orji)went there(INEC office) to report over late and missing of the electoral materials. By right, he is not the appropriate person to report to. Because, there is senatorial INEC coordinator before getting to INEC top echelons. And i can tell you, the election was an open stealing, the ruling PDP did in Abia State.
“We (APC) are going to retrieve our stolen mandate from the failed PDP government. Our rightful mandate which we won. For example, somebody like Hon. Nwabueze Onwuneme, who contested for House of Assembly to represent Umuahia north constituency and that of Umuahia East constituency, Mr. Austin Okezie Meregini.”
The APC spokesman added, “The ruling party robbed the duo of the mandate freely given to them by the electorates. They won the elections. We have more than 10 of our candidates that won the last election, but, were manipulated. We will reclaim those stolen mandate.”