NOTHING SHOULD HAPPEN TO RESULTS IN ENUGU AND ABIA - INTERSOCIETY WARNS INEC

The International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Intersociety, has advised the Independent National Election Commission, INEC, not to tamper with or suppress the results of the two governorship elections in Enugu and Abia States.

The organization further stated that the INEC's decision to suspend the collation of the results in Nkanu East and Nsukka Local Government Areas in Enugu State, as well as Obingwa Local Government Area in Abia State, should not be used to undermine the sacred electoral desires of the people of the two states.

The demand was made by the human rights organization during a press conference in Enugu on Tuesday.

The briefing text was signed by Chinwe Umeche Esquire, Head of Democracy and Good Governance Program, and Chidinma Udegbunam Esquire, Head of Campaign and Publicity Department, in addition to Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chair, Intersociety.

According to the group, the work before INEC Headquarters on the matter is to determine the actual number of registered voters/PVC holders (eligible voters) and accredited voters (real voters) as included in the BVAS in regions where results were challenged.

While noting that the group had investigated and discovered the real issues at the heart of a controversy involving the governorship results of Nkanu East (Enugu) and Obingwa (Abia), Intersociety stated that the desperate attempts by gubernatorial incumbents in Enugu and Abia to smuggle in magic results into the main results were at the heart of it.

Part of the Statement read: "The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), Nigeria's leading and uncompromising democracy, human rights, the rule of law and citizens' security and safety advocacy Organization since 2008, is strongly warning the integrity- challenged Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that nothing roguish happens to Enugu and Abia Governorship results.

"While Collation Officers for Enugu (Prof Maduebibisi Iwe) and Abia (Prof Nnenna Oti) deserve interim commendation for refusing to compromise their positions in the eyes of the law, it is our strong warning that the results of the two Governorship polls must not be tampered with or brutally suppressed.

"The decision of the INEC National Headquarters to suspend the collation of the results involving Nkanu East and Nsukka Local Government Areas in Enugu State and Obingwa Local Government Area in Abia State and look into issues critically raised must not be a seized opportunity to subvert the sacred electoral wishes of the People of the two States.

"The task before INEC Headquarters on the issue is very simple: what is the actual number of registered voters/PVC holders (eligible voters) and the number of accredited voters (actual voters) in Nkanu East and Nsukka in Enugu State and Obingwa in Abia State? Flowing from the above: how many accredited voters voted, and were they greater or lesser in number than the number of registered/accredited voters?

"In other words: is it correct to say that

the '30 000 votes' padded and added in Nkanu East were greater or lesser than the number of its registered/PVC holders/accredited voters? In Obingwa, Abia State, is it also correct to say that the '72,000 votes' being smuggled in were greater or lesser in number than the number of registered/PVC holders/accredited voters?

"Intersociety has investigated and found that the real issues in contention and at the centre of a controversy involving Nkanu East (Enugu) and Obingwa (Abia) Governorship results' conundrum are desperate attempts by gubernatorial incumbents in Enugu and Abia to smuggle in magic results into the main. results so as to outnumber and corner the majority results to their favoured Governorship Candidates.

"This is more so when the manufactured results are strongly believed to be far above the total registered or accredited voters with PVCs in Nkanu East, Enugu State and Obingwa, Abia State."