The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Returning Officer for the Saturday, 28 March, 2015 Abia North Senatorial and House of Representatives elections, Dr. Ihekweaba Chukwugoziem has raised alarm about threat to his life, following his refusal to be compromised or sign the adulterated results of Abia North NASS elections.
He said: Chukwugoziem, an Associate Professor and Head of Department of the Computer Engineering Department of Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State said that he was duly appointed to serve as the Returning officer for Abia North Senatorial District.
His: “While on the field, I made contacts with my colleagues at the various local government areas that make up the Senatorial district. These local government areas include: Arochukwu, Ohafia, Bende, Isuikwuato and Umuneochi. The reports i got from the field were that there were irregularities, at some places and i was made to understand that fake documents were use in the field and were eventually exchanged with the original documents later.
“While in Ohafia, the tension was so high as the youths were all over the place ready to kill us because they said that if we give wrong verdict, none of us would get out of there alive. When they took over the place, I had no other option but to contact the Resident Electoral Commissioner, through text, telling her the true position, that the hoodlums had taken over and that it was difficult for us to function. They gathered around the entire place, shooting, so my major problem at the time was how to save my life because I did not know what result I was going to announce that could create problems. I thank God that we were eventually evacuated from the place.
“The Resident Electoral Commissioner, wisely instituted a committee to look into the grievances and it was obvious, after looking at Arochukwu local government area results, that there were massive irregularities in Arochukwu. I thank God, we had some security operatives including memebers of SSS and i know they were taking records.
“However, at the point when we were now to collate, it was obvious that those who were going to return the results we were going to collate were not quite sure what they were giving us. As a law abiding citizen, and knowing fully well the burden of the faculty position i was given to return results of elections that were duly taken care of, I found it difficult to actually find out what happened, where and so on, I knew it is going to be very rigorous, my suggestion and even the report I wrote to the Resident Electoral Commissioner that we do a re-run of this election and put in more security operatives to guide these votes from the polling units ton the point where they will be collated and the result computed and who ever wins takes it.
