Declare lawful winners in Abia, Enugu or expect ENDSARS-like protests – Coalition
The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, has raised suspicion over the hesitation in declaring the rightful winners of Abia and Enugu states governorship elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
A statement by the President General of the coalition, Goodluck Ibem, said the winners of Saturday elections in the two states cannot be altered.
The coalition, which alleged that there are plots to manipulate the results of the March 18 governorship elections in both Enugu and Abia, accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of manufacturing votes.
The statement reads: “As youth leaders of the South East geopolitical zone, it will be wrong to keep quiet when things are not going the way it should be, hence our resolve to come out and say the truth the way it should be.
“In Abia State, the results of 16 local government areas of the state have been released before the introduction of the controversial result from Obingwa Local Government Area of the state was brought to Abia State Collation centre, a local government where it was reported that INEC officials were beaten black and blue to compromised or change the elections figures.
“The Obingwa East state constituency results as announced by INEC on the same day the governorship election was conducted showed that the total number of people that voted in Obingwa East and West, which are the two state constituencies that make up Obingwa Local Government Area, is 27, 912.
“If 27,912 people voted in the said election, from where did the PDP get 108,000 votes?
“We call on INEC, not to delay, but announce the rightful winner of the governorship election in Abia State and Enugu State in order to calm frayed nerves in both states.
“Any attempt to announce the wrong person as the winner of the governorship elections in Abia State and Enugu State will lead to protests worse than EndSARS.”
