Plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the 2019 general elections in Abia State with the use of fake voters cards, have been uncovered, Igbere TV reports.
This was as Hon. Ojisi Iro Ogbaja, a former councilor who represented Ugwufie Ward in Ohafia local government council of the state, raised the alarm over some irregularities in the list of voters register in the council.
Hon. Ogbaja, while speaking with journalists (Igbere TV inclusive) also claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is collaborating with PDP in the rigging plan.
He also accused the current Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ude Oko Chukwu, of being the mastermind of the whole plan, being that he is from the affected area.
The former Supervisory Councilor averred that INEC had concocted and manipulated the voters register in 15 units of Ndi Elu Ward Nkporo, Ohafia local government area of the state.
He said this was orchestrated by the commission with the view of rigging and undermining the validity of the 2019 elections.
According to him, “This conspiracy and electoral fraud was machinated, perpetrated and perfected by INEC with the utmost intent of rigging the 2019 polls in these 15 units of Ndi Elu Ward in Etitama Nkporo, the Abia State Deputy Governor’s Village.
“It is crystal clear and evident that the voters register of these affected areas was thoroughly generated, fabricated and overblown with falsified figures, names and images.
“Cases of multiple registration of voters, registration of minors, registration of non-indigenes and non-residents, registration of dead persons, registration by non appearance of persons and registration without direct capturing of images and the use of still pictures, were discovered.”
Hon. Ogbaja explained that these nonetheless readily explains the reason in the astronomical and over 100 per cent increase of registered voters in these areas from about 4,000 in 2015 to 11,000 in 2018 for a revalidation exercise only.
“A close and thorough scrutiny of the register readily shows over 90 per cent of registered voters were images from still images with fake names and addresses. On serial number 567 of registered list of voters in Unit 11 of Ndi Elu Ward in Nkporo Ohafia local government area, my picture appeared with the name ‘Mba Okpee E’. I did not submit or present myself for the said registration. I am ordinarily from Elughu Nkporo in Ndi Eititi Ward where I personally registered myself as a voter in unit 001 with the name Ojisi Iro Ogbaja. This is a clear manifestation of fraudulent practices on the part of INEC.
“It is also rather disheartening to find the names of His Royal Majesty, Eze K. K. Ogbu, Enachioken of Abiriba kingdom; Hon. Chief Kingsley Imaga, the Abia State Commissioner for Transport from Elu Ohafia; Hon. Uduma Uguru from Okagwe Ohafia; Chief Idika Ukonu from Ohafor Ward; Mrs. Nelly Onwuka from Ameke Abiriba, and a lot others on the voters register of this same Unit and Ward. In fact, there were cases of those whose pictures appeared more than one with different names. For instance, the images of Barr. Ben Kalu, the APC candidate for Bende Federal Constituency in the 2019 general elections, were repeated severally with fake names in the register. For avoidance of doubt, Barr. Kalu is from Bende community, a council entirely different from Ohafia local government area. So, I wonder the correlations these two have.”
The former Supervisory Councilor, while speaking further, said from the ongoing, it is evident that the valid voters from the affected registration areas are not up to 1,000 out of the about 11,000 voters purportedly registered by INEC.
“The fraudulent appearances of names and images of people from places outside Etitama community in Ndi Elu Ward Nkporo is a clear indication that this was readily perfected through the use of their pictures as against the INEC rules of direct capturing and physical appearance before registration officer at the registration centres, and this further explains the astronomical increase of registered voters in these areas. This is most heinous than vote buying. It is a conscious effort by the commission to stripe, and rob the innocent and unsuspecting members of my units, Ward and Nkporo community as a whole their franchise. This action of INEC has rendered them no longer trustworthy, instead the entire community now view them circumspect as decadent and degenerate morbid grave diggers,” he said.
Hon. Ogbaja, therefore, said he had approached the law court having failed to secure a reasonable explanation from INEC, adding, “despite my complaints, the commission went ahead and published the same list of registered voters during the final publication of voters register in January.”
In the Writ of Summons with Suit No. FHC/UM/CS/06/19 obtained by Igbere TV, Hon. Ogbaja is asking the law court for:- (a) a declaration that the published register of voters in the 15 units of Etitama Nkporo in Ndi Elu Ward, Ohafia local government area of Abia State, is a gross infringement and a flagrant violation of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Electoral Act and Guidelines for the registration of voters; and therefore otiose null and void; (b) an order nullifying or setting aside the purported published register of voters by INEC in the 15 affected units of Ndi Elu Ward, Nkporo, Ohafia local government area of the state, for being made in violation of the Electoral Act and Guidelines for the registration of voters; (c) an order of injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants and/or workmen from using the purported published register of voters in the affected units in the conduct of the 2019 general elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Abia State and the INEC Electoral Officer (EO), Ohafia local government area, were listed as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants.
The case has been fixed for February 25, 2019 for hearing at the Federal High Court, Umuahia, Abia State.
