By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, has rejected the outcome of the governorship and state Houses Assembly elections in the state held on Saturday, March 18, 2023.

The Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) had on Monday, March 20, 2023 declared the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Rt Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, as winner of gubernatorial election and majority of seats into the state Houses of Assembly.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday at the PDP campaign headquarters in Abakiliki, State Acting Chairman of the party, Barr. Ifeanyi Nworie, said the party would seek all legal means to reclaim the mandate in the court of law.

Nworie alleged irregularities, intimidation, harassment of PDP supporters by APC thugs in connivance with security agencies and INEC that characterised the polls.

“It has become expeditious for us as a party, the Peoples Democratic Party to formally make known our position on the vexatious, anomalous and controvertible travesty called election that took place on March 18, 2023,” he said.

According to Nworie, it is obvious that what happened on March 18 was a melodramatic replay of what happened during the Presidential/National Assembly Elections of February 25, 2023.

He accused the APC of perfected a pre-determined charade in collaboration with INEC to announced concocted results, adding that is absolutely condemnable and unacceptable to the party.

“INEC never acquitted itself creditably with patriotism and the high sense of responsibility expected of it. The people of Ebonyi State attest to the fact that there is a pall of gloom, disquiet and discontentment in the state since the release of the concocted results which the Independent National Electoral Commission in Ebonyi State manufactured to deny the PDP candidate his hard-earned victory,” he said.

Nworie, who was the PDP’s candidate for Ezza South State constituency, stated that the APC has murdered the sleep of Ebonyians but the murderers won't sleep until the full restoration of the people’s mandate to the legitimate owner.

“It has become expedient for us to express our disgust, indignation and dissatisfaction over the spurious manufacture of results that upturned the victory against our illustrious and promising governorship candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii.

Continuing, Nworie unflinchingly stated that the candidate was duly elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast in the election for the office of the Governor of Ebonyi State.

His words: “Our opponents in APC resorted to electoral manipulations, violence, killings and the desecration of electoral rules. In Ezza North LGA, the Chairman of PDP in the Council Area was murdered by elements believed to be APC thugs on election day. The same thing happened in Onicha Igboeze, where a PDP agent was shot dead in similar circumstances.

“The APC government had on several occasions threatened violence to Ebonyians, which they carried out during the conduct of the election.

“Civil society groups and foreign observers have pointed out the elections conducted in Ebonyi State were marred by irregularities and we're not in consonance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

“A large number of our supporters were unlawfully arrested by security agencies. We call on Security Agencies to release them immediately and unconditionally.”

PDP urged the people of Ebonyi State to remain calm and be assured that the mandate they gave to Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii which was stolen will certainly be recovered.