Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, member representing Bende Federal Constituency at the 9th House of Representatives, also the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, on Monday reacted to the outcome of the December 18, Abia State Local Government election.
The election result released by the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, headed by Prof. Mkpa Agu Mkpa saw the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winning all the 17 local government areas of the state.
Speaking in a live radio political program on 94.9 Flo FM in Umuahia, Hon. Benjamin Kalu reacted to the outcome of the result from his federal constituency.
His words; “No polling unit in Bende local government area opened for accreditation, we are not talking about election, we are talking about accreditation. There was no voters register anywhere in the polling units.
“I don’t know what they fed the governor with, but it’s not the governor, but Prof. Mkpa, the head of the Abia State Independent Election Commission(ABSIEC).”
Hon Benjamin also added that governor Okezie Should be left out of the outcome of the election for now and maintained that election didn’t hold in Bende.
“I want to see any evidence of voters register used for accreditation in the Bende Federal Constituency, there’s non.
“People were asked to pay for forms, people spent their money to campaign, people did billboards.
“It wasn’t that the election was rigged. It’s when you have election that you can say it was rigged or they could not protect their result. But in this case, there was no election.” Hon. Kalu affirmed.
Hon. Kalu also revealed the statement made by the electoral officer in a video and efforts made by his party to protect the election materials from hoodlums and rigging.
” In Bende, the Electoral Officer said on a video that the election will not hold today but will hold on a latter date.
“We also have a video where the DPO and the agents of PDP and APC escorted the materials from ABSIEC office to DPO’s office in Bende .
“Not even a single paper left there. I saw people circulating pictures that they did election in their parlous, Where did they get their materials from? Hon. Kalu asked.
Hon. Kalu also pointed out that it has been a practice when state conducts election. He however questioned why would the government make people spend their money when there will be no election.
Hon. Kalu noted that it is fraudulent to make people spend their money for the election without the election held. He also spotted the legal implications of such.
“They can sue ABSIEC. You make them come out to spend their money, it would have been good if they did election and you failed them. There is no evidence of any election.
“My joy as the caucus leader of Bende, is that, we have once again proved that PDP is not holding the grassroot, it was in their wisdom not to hold that election, there was no how they would have won, not possible.
“They avoided election, went into selection and then declaration.” Hon. Kalu said.
He however add that though his party rejected the outcome of the election but noted that it won’t stop the state government to proceed in the process, but revealed that his joy is that his people campaigned from house to house.
“The structures were there for us to win the election despite the leaders of the party not being around.” Hon. Kalu added.
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