inconclusive. Coffins almost in every corner of the city with threat
to the mass to vote for a particular candidate or lose your life. The
gubernatorial race is between All Progressive Grand Alliance ,Dr.
Allex Otti and Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu..
In an interview with Punch, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in
charge of Abia State, Professor Selina Oko, has alleged her life is
being threatened...
Are you under any threat from any quarters?
Yes, I have been getting calls threatening my life. I have been
getting text messages about how they will shoot me through the window
of my car.
Have you reported the threats to the security agencies?
Yes, I have. I told them that my life is being threatened.
The governorship candidate of the PDP,Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, alleged that
his All Progressive Grand Alliance counterpart, Dr. Allex Otti,
induced you with a whopping N300 million?
Tell him to produce evidence. Since he even knows the amount, it means
he has evidence. So, let him produce it. And he should know that when
you know of a crime and you don't report it you are also committing a
crime. He is committing a crime for not reporting it to the police. He
is supposed to report to the police and not to level wild allegation
in the media. He is supposed to report it to law enforcement officers
and he has not done so. So he is committing a crime.
He also alleged that you are Otti's aunt. Is that true?
He is a liar. He does not know me. I did not know Otti until I came to
Abia. I think Otti is from Abia. I am from Afikpo in Ebonyi State. He
should go to Afikpo and trace my linage and see whether there is any
link at all between me and Otti. I have never known Otti until this
time. They are cooking up stories just to whip up sentiments. Besides
if I am Otti's aunt why should I then collect N300 million from him?
One of such people whose allegation I read in black and white is the
so-called National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh. He said I
am related to Otti. How can somebody at his level get information and
not bother to verify it? All he did was to rush to the media and put
it in black and white. There is something wrong with him. He is not
fit to be a leader.
They said you are compromised.
Let them produce evidence. You don't just say one is compromised. You
produce evidence to support the allegation.
But has any politician or political party at all attempted to bribe you?
How can you ask me that type of question? You know politicians and
when I answer, they will say tell us the person. Please, don't ask me
that type of question.
How do you feel about all these especially when you are trying to do
your best and nobody seems to be appreciating your efforts?
It is irritating because you bring out your mind to do the work the
way it should be done and people are unnecessarily trying to poison
the minds of the populace. But I will not be deterred. I will still do
what I know is the right thing. The Returning Officer announced that
the election was inconclusive. And it was based on facts. The law says
when the margin of lead between the highest scorer and the runner-up
is smaller than the total number of registered voters in the polling
units where election was not done or results were cancelled, there
should be a rerun.
Recall that out of the 439,454 total votes cast, PDP scored 248,459
while APGA got 165,406 votes. The 83,053 margin of lead is less than
the 175,532 total number of registered voters in the polling units
where election did not hold or results were cancelled. That was why
the exercise was declared inconclusive by the Returning Officer and
the position of the Electoral Act on this is very clear. But PDP has
been claiming that its candidate is leading and we failed to declare
him winner. That is not the truth.
--PUNCH
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