By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Candidate for Abakaliki North State Constituency, Mr Victor Chidiebere Nwoke, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare him the winner of the Saturday 18 March election; having scored the highest votes during the exercise.
Recall that the Ebonyi State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Onyeka Ugochi has declared 6 Constituency results inconclusive in the recent State House of Assembly elections.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday in Abakaliki, Nwoke clarified that 6 out of the 179 polling units in Abakaliki North State Constituency were disrupted by suspected political thugs during the March 18 elections.
He, however, argued that the disruption of the 6 polling units was not enough to declare his constituency result inconclusive, since there was a hitch-free exercise in 173 polling units.
The PDP candidate disclosed that he was leading with 365 votes against his closest rival, Mr Maxwell Umahi of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the constituency.
He appealed to the INEC to observe "the new electoral law," which in his words, "stipulated that where there's willful obstruction of the election, the polling unit(s) should be accredited with zero votes and shall not count in the application of the margin of the leading principles which said they should conclude the process, thereby, declaring me as the winner.
"I appeal with the INEC to declare me as the winner because I successfully won this election," he said.
He, however, urged his supporters to come out massively to cast their votes and defend them as well, if the INEC insisted on rerunning in the contentious 6 polling units within his constituency.
He said: "If INEC insisted that there will be a re-run, I am calling on my supporters to come out en mass that day and vote for the Peoples Democratic Party with the assurance that we are going to win again.
"However, I am appealing to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to declare me as a winner because I won in the 18 March election and did not see any reason of declaring my Constituency inconclusive considering what the electoral law says."
Nwoke also felicitated with the Ebonyi State Governor-Elect, Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, among other elected candidates who have been officially declared winners of the February 25 and March 18 elections.
