6th June 2024
Barely 48 hours to Saturday’s rerun, the Labour Party (LP) candidate for Enugu South state assembly election, Bright Ngene, is insisting that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Chukwuemaka Chukwu, and Electoral Officer, Francis Chigbu, should be replaced.
The rerun election is scheduled to be held for the third time on Saturday, June 8, in the eight polling units situated at Ward 5, Uwani Primary school and Robinson Primary School which has 4,257 registered voters.
The candidate is demanding that Chukwu and Chigbu should not be allowed to conduct the election alleging that under their watch, result sheets meant for the first botched rerun election went missing and have not been recovered till date.
Ngene said that he petitioned the electoral umpire immediately after the first rerun election and the duo were replaced by INEC. He wondered why INEC should bring the same individuals back to conduct the same election again.
“INEC most recently has shown intention to conduct another re-run election for the 3rd time. Of utmost concern of this proposed 3rd time re-run election is that INEC is intending to allow or use the REC and the EO who conducted the botched 3rd February, 2024 1st re-run election and under their watch the original result sheet got missing without trace.
“I therefore wish to use this medium to vehemently oppose the intention of INEC to allow or use the REC Enugu and the Electoral Officer to conduct this forthcoming re-run election as there is a serious likelihood that original result sheet and other vital material may start missing in their custody. We have therefore lost confidence and trust in their integrity to conduct a credible, free and fair election.
“We equally wish to let the world know that it’s now been over 9 good months that the Enugu south urban constituency seat has remained vacant and unrepresented at the Enugu State House of the Assembly.
“I therefore passionately and humbly request the gentlemen of press (print and electronic), NGOs, CSOs, election monitors, European Union, and other international organisations to be on ground to supervise, and monitor this 3rd time re run election to ensure that whatever result INEC will announce will reflect the true votes cast by the electorates in the said 8 polling units,” he said.
SOURCE:THE SUN