How I was forced to announce Okorocha winner of Senate seat – INEC Returning Officer

Sunday night’s melodrama snowballed into a full-blown controversy Monday morning when the returning officer for Imo West Senatorial District, Innocent Ibeabuchi, said he was “detained at the centre for days.”

He said this while announcing the results of the senatorial election for the zone.

Before reeling out figures at the district collation centre in the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) Office in Orlu, Mr Ibeabuchi, a professor, said he was being held “under duress” to announce the results.

“My name is Ibeabuchi Izuchukwu Innocent, a professor at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), the returning officer for Imo West (Orlu) senatorial zone”, the official said.

“My area commander; my P.Os; the party agents here present; members of the press; ladies and gentlemen.

“I have been held hostage here for days so I’m trying to ease off and take my life home back to my children and for the sake of that I am calling these results under duress,” the returning officer said.

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He then reeled out the results.

The Drama
After announcing nine out of 12 local government areas that made up the zone, Mr Ibeabuchi paused. The time was 9:45 p.m Sunday.

Three LGA results were being awaited to finalise results for Imo west district. They are Oru West, Ugwuta and Orlu.

The outgoing governor of the state, Rocha Okorocha who ran under the All Progressives Congress (APC) won in eight of the nine local governments announced earlier.

Mr Ibeabuchi said he received an urgent call from the state’s Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Francis Ezeonu, to return to Owerri and continue the process Monday morning.

But Mr Okorocha’s supporters insisted the returning officer “must complete” the announcement, “otherwise, he is not going anywhere.”

They blocked the professor from leaving the building. They refused to yield even when police officers intervened.




For hours, the APC agents who initially hauled verbal threats at the returning officer resorted to pleading. But Mr Ibeabuchi stuck to his guns.

He remained unmoved even after Mr Okorocha and his closest rival, Jones Onyeriri of the Peoples Democratic Party visited the centre at different intervals Monday morning.

Mr Ibeabuchi would later yield and declared Mr Okorocha winner of the election. He said the governor polled 97,762 votes while Mr Onyeriri returned second with 63,117 votes.

Mr Okorocha’s old rival and a former senator, Osita Izunaso, came third with 30,932 votes.

What happened?
It was not immediately clear why Mr Ibeabuchi initially refused to announce the remaining results on Sunday night but later did on Monday “under duress.”

When contacted, INEC spokesperson in the state, Emmanuella Opara, said the commission was following the development and had sent security personnel to bring Mr Ibeabuchi to Owerri.

“Let him come back here with his report and tell us what happened.”

Mr Onyeriri, who is a sitting member of the House of Representatives, later alleged that the returning officer was held hostage throughout the night by Mr Okorocha’s supporters after a directive from the REC to “stop the collation and return to Owerri.”




He said Mr Ibeabuchi stopped the process after observing “the whole results were rigged and inflated in favour” of the outgoing governor.

“Throughout the night, they used several means to compel the returning officer to go ahead with the wrong results.”

He further described elections in the zone as heavily rigged by Mr Okorocha, saying he would not accept the results.

“In Ideeato South, he brought all collation officers to his house and compelled them to write results on his behalf. The number turned out was far behind the number captured by smartcard reader.

“He also colluded with some RAC techs to make the smart card readers not to work to enable him to do normal registration, hence inflation of voters.

“I want that results to be changed because I will not accept them. I am the actual winner. In law, if the returning officer says he can no longer continue, you cannot force him.”

The election was adjudged by observers and participants to be fraught with irregularities such as ballot snatching, invasion of polling units and harassment of voters by thugs.

Shortly before the governor’s arrival, PREMIUM TIMES reported how a journalist, duly accredited to cover the polls, was harassed and briefly detained by the thugs in Mr Okorocha’s polling unit at about 10:14 am.

This happened in the presence of two female police officers at the centre.

Source:https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/316087-how-i-was-forced-to-announce-okorocha-winner-of-senate-seat-inec-returning-officer.html

When it comes to election in Nigeria always expect revelations..

They no dey fall hand it's in their blood APC and intimidation are like twin brothers

lalasticlala

He won in 8 of 9 you announced. Then stopped and want to change location without announcing the remaining 3? Hmmm

APC has brought evil upon the land

cr7lomo:
APC has brought evil upon the land

Really? What did PDP bring?

Watch Full Video Clip From HERE

rottennaija:


Really? What did PDP bring?

So because PDP was assumed to hv brought evil , means we should continue with evil...this is the reason the white man says the black man is brainless and no different from animals

This election is a sham

And someone will come out to say, APC is better, or there is someone called Mr. Integrity in the land. This is depressing, I’m disgusted at everything this folks are doing

Na wa

Why not cancel this sham election. I knew Okoroawusa never won anything because he was never popular even in his locality.

Okorocha won...period!

Where's the poverty infested useless old man called Abagworo?

Okoroawusa has been rejected by Imolites, he had to use force to intimidate the REC. This fraud cannot stand

somalianprince:
Why not cancel this sham election. I knew Okoroawusa never won anything because he was never popular even in his locality.

He is my state governor. He intimidates civil servants to vote and rig for him or they lose their jobs.

He is a curse to IMO state

Lol... lawyers will have a field day this year

G

What nonsense..i thought this regime is fighting corruption. I thought buhari asked ballot box snatchers to be shot on sight. But I know Okorocha will not be apprehended because he is APC. And someone has the guts to call buhari Mr integrity. Has he come out to say anything about the massive violence that marred the election, the loss of lives and properties, the killings, the intimidation. What about"snatch ballot box and die" but it is being done in the midst of security operatives. Ok what about that young 19 yes old boy who came out to exercise his Civic rights for the first time, perhaps he came to vote for buhari. The election held about 2 days ago and our president has not spoken a word about anything all because it's in his favor.nawa oo. All those people voting for buhari and even supporting him I hope all the good works of buhari falls on you and your family. The blood shed is on you. Since you are advocating for a second term,let his doings be your portion. Amen. Amen and Amen. Also get ready for the second coming of recession.

More revelations to come. Useless party, useless members.

Much as I thought. They just burnt down INEC office in IMO all evidence hace been destroyed. The same thing happened in the middle belt and northern part as even as we speak. The reason INEC is holding and delaying.

APC IS A CULT GROUP LED BY DULLARD BUHARI

Even a pupil lawyer can easily spot how votes were inflated for Okorocha in four LGAs.

Politics is win or lose for pdp and other parties, but not for apc. Apc are so scared of losing. Very useless party.

Odikwaegwu.

Nice one though!
Thumbs up op...

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I don't understand this country again,you know that the election was rigged and you went further to announce it.

Fake report

Okorocha must be stopped;

As long as it doesn't affect Senator Dino Melaye's win, then they are on their own... Dino Melaye(giving Governor Yahaya Bello tough time since time immemorial).

Ha