L
LequteMan
Guest
State Agent of the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa, Mr. Dennis Otitio, has termed the declaration of governor Seriake Dickson as the winner of the state's governorship election by INEC as a "flagrant abuse" of the electoral process.
“The process started with a fragrant abuse of the process from the beginning to this point,” he said in an interview with Channels TV.
He said INEC ought to have declared the election inconclusive, and called for a rerun in areas were elections were cancelled.
“Because Section 26 of the Nigerian Electoral Act is very clear; it says that where the difference between the winner and the runner up is less than the total votes cancelled, the Returning Officer is not supposed to make a return,” he said.
“In this case, the total votes cancelled are about 53,000, while the difference between PDP and APC is 48,146. In this circumstance, the returning officer is not supposed to declare any winner.”
He also accused INEC of ignoring its protests and petitions. One of the issues raised, he said was that the electoral commission’s ad hoc exercised undue discretionary powers in cancelling election in APC strongholds.
As a result, he said he declined to sign the results announced, saying there was a plot to rig APC out from the onset.
The PDP state agent, however, said the APC was making unfounded allegation.
“The process started with a fragrant abuse of the process from the beginning to this point,” he said in an interview with Channels TV.
He said INEC ought to have declared the election inconclusive, and called for a rerun in areas were elections were cancelled.
“Because Section 26 of the Nigerian Electoral Act is very clear; it says that where the difference between the winner and the runner up is less than the total votes cancelled, the Returning Officer is not supposed to make a return,” he said.
“In this case, the total votes cancelled are about 53,000, while the difference between PDP and APC is 48,146. In this circumstance, the returning officer is not supposed to declare any winner.”
He also accused INEC of ignoring its protests and petitions. One of the issues raised, he said was that the electoral commission’s ad hoc exercised undue discretionary powers in cancelling election in APC strongholds.
As a result, he said he declined to sign the results announced, saying there was a plot to rig APC out from the onset.
The PDP state agent, however, said the APC was making unfounded allegation.
