Bye-election: PDP’s senatorial candidate, Onu alleges intimidation, snatching of ballot boxes
…alleges Works minister, Umahi induced voters with money
By Chijioke Njoku
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for the 2024 bye-election in Ebonyi South zone, Barr Silas Onu yesterday said that ballot box snatching has become the business of the day in Ebonyi state.
Onu who spoke with journalists at his polling unit, in Ohaozara LGA, alleged that the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, in Ebonyi South has not been maintaining guidelines and procedures of the independent national electoral commission, INEC, in the conduct of the election.
The PDP candidate, Onu however, disclosed that the stakeholders of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, in Ebonyi instructed security agencies and thugs to be thumb printing without accreditation and the federal minister for works, David Umahi came and gave them money for manipulating election results in the polling unit.
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Chief Onu further alleged that there were recorded incidents of ballot box snatching in some polling units, and that there was imputation of votes in some polling unit by the ruling party, and further alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies failed to respond in that regard.
He further noted that he had called other neighboring local government and polling units where they confirmed that government officials were using thugs to resist his party faithful from participating in the election process.
Recall that Silas Onu a former chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in Ebonyi, produced Dr Ifeanyi Chumwuma Odii who challenged the election of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru in the just concluded 2023 general election.
“As I speak with you, they have been buying votes and validating votes Where people vote for PDP, APC thugs will thumb print on it in all the polling units and the issue of ballot box snatching in all seasons of election is bad.
“In some polling units nobody was deployed but am sure votes will come out from there security has not been performed at all because in some polling units, you will go to, you will not meet any security at the poll and it seems that the entire election process was stage-managed.
” I have communicated with other local government and they have told me that government officials are Carrying thugs around to intimidate my electorate I have complained to security but they don’t allow our people to vote,” he said.
