Also in the clandestine move, is the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), which was accused of replacing Uwandulu’s name with the PDP candidate and allegedly shooting guns in jubilation of their ‘imposed victory’ on the people of Ward 6 Issele-Azagba.
The Councillorship Candidate who was accompanied to the headquarters of DSIEC along the Asaba-Onitsha expressway by women, boys and girls protested against what they termed as injustice by DSIEC.
Addressing journalists, the APC candidate, said he won the Councillorship election, insisting that there was no Presiding Officer, Returning Officer and SPO to declare him winner of the election.
Hear him: “the reason why I am protesting is that after my election yesterday, the returning officer was not there through out the election. So, no one to announce my result after the election.
“I came here to protest, I want the presiding officer to announce my result, that is the main reason why I am here.
“In my Ward, the PDP members are jubilating that they have written the name, shooting guns and they are saying that the governor told them to write the name and that they are the winners”, he alleged.
He purported that the returning officer was not on ground, “I want the returning officer to announce it. If I win, good, if I don’t win, good. I want DSIEC to declare me the winner”, he noted.
Continuing he said: “I won in Issele-Azagba as one of the Councillors under the All Progressives Congress. I need my mandate because the result was counted but the returning officer was hijacked by the PDP.
“I am here to tell the world that they hijacked my result. The election was peaceful at first but it looks so painful that after my winning, my mandate was stolen. That is why I am here to tell Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the presidency to look into the issue, we have equal rights in this country.
“I scored 407 while the PDP got 318”, adding that he was not aware that the party pulled out of the election, “I am not aware”, he said.
Also speaking an Indigene of Issele-Azagba, Comrade Gabriel Nwajei, said he was at DSIEC office in respect of the election that was conducted by the electoral body in which Mr. Samson was allegedly denied his victory.
“DSIEC held an election for the people to come and vote. He is not aware whether the party, APC pulled out of the election, we are not aware.
“DSIEC officials came without the PO, Presiding Officer, Returning Officer and the SPO. We asked questions, they told us that they will come later. Later on as at 3:00pm when the election ended, the returning officer was nowhere to be found.
“Suddenly PDP at the unit level began to withdraw their agents that until the returning officer comes, the results will not be counted. The people protested that since they have voted, their result should be counted. After all said and done, the results was counted by the POs and at every unit, this young man won.
“The total calculation, he won with is 407 while the PDP got 318, during this process, the returning officer absconded, he didn’t come to the election, nobody was there to declare him winner. All we are demanding is that the returning officer that will declare him the winner should come. Up till now, no SPO, returning officer to declare him the winner”, Nwajei lamented.
Meanwhile, no DSIEC official came to address the protesting APC Candidate and his supporters.
