Election observer questions Ebonyi council polls won by PDP

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State

An Election Observer from Anambra, Miss Isabella Monye, has disputed the high figures released by Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) for the local council polls held on Saturday.

Monye said the figures did not reflect what observers witnessed in various polling units.

“During our monitoring on Saturday we observed that the turnout for the election was poor so I wonder where EBSIEC got these high figures from,” she said.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the chairmanship seats of the 13 Local Government Areas of Ebonyi in the Saturday local council polls.

NAN reports that the party also won all the councillorship seats in the 171 wards of the state.

Mr Jossy Eze, Chairman of the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) announced this on Sunday at the commission’s headquarters in Abakaliki while declaring result of the polls.

According to him, seven political parties participated in the elections out of the 40 registered parties in the state including the PDP and the All Progressive Congress (APC)

“The other parties that contested in the elections include: African Democratic Party (ADC), African Peoples Party (APA) Merger Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP) Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the United Democratic Party (UDP).

“The PDP’s candidate in Abakaliki LGA, Emmanuel Nwangele won with 65, 036 votes, Ogbonnaya Oko-Enyim won in Afikpo LGA with 55, 808, Eni Uduma-Chima-Afikpo South 50, 894, Juliet Nwaogbaga—Ebonyi, 54, 527 and Nora Aloh—Ezza North, 58, 423 votes.

“The PDP candidate in Ezza South LGA, Sunday Ogodo won with 50, 576 votes, John Nnabo—Ikwo, 77, 132, Henry Eze—Ishiellu, 68, 263, Ude Ogbonnaya—Ivo, 28, 787 Paul Nwogha—Izzi, 84, 088, Clement Odaa—Ohaukwu,84, 088, Nkechi Iyioku—Ohaozara, 55, 698 and Felix Igboke—Onicha,59, 698 votes,” he said.

Eze declared that the APC trailed in a distant second position with an accumulated 5, 900 votes while most of the other parties did not record a single vote in most LGA’s.

He commended the electorate, party agents, security officials, observers, among other stakeholders, for ensuring a smooth and credible electoral process, noting that cases of electoral disturbances were very minimal.

“We have been able to deliver a credible election to Ebonyi people despite inherent challenges as the state has the enviable record of conducting LGA elections in the country, every three years,” he said.

Mr Onyekachi Nwebonyi, state PDP Chairman, congratulated the party faithful for the victory and noted that it was an indication of what to expect in the state, in the 2019 general elections.

“This resounding success has proved that PDP is the only party which viably exists in Ebonyi and we are not going to rest on our oars until such feat is repeated in 2019,” he said.

Mr Splendour Eze, state Chairman of the Advanced Congress for Democrats (ACD) hailed the smooth conduct of the election but regretted that his party did not participate in it.

Eze, who is the state Secretary of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), lamented that the current economic hardship in the country made most parties not to participate in the election.

“The state governor was magnanimous to offset 50 per cent of the nomination fees of N500, 000 for chairmanship candidates and N100, 000 for councillorship positions, for registered parties in the state.

“The balance despite the subsidy was still high as it was still not within the reach of most parties,” he said.