TELL Magazine

After failing in his return bid to the House of Representatives, Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayima, serving lawmaker representing Ikpoba-Okha/Egor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is crying foul over the outcome of the election which was won by his People’s Democratic Party, PDP, rival, Jude Ise-Idehen, saying that he was robbed of victory. 

Agbonyinma who yesterday morning took his protest against the alleged rigging of the election to the Edo State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission,  INEC, accompanied by his supporters, alleged that officials of the Commission connived with security agents, and PDP to deny him victory. He also accused INEC of frustrating his filing of a petition at the Election Petition Tribunal by refusing to avail him of Certified True Copies (CTC) of result sheets from the various units of the constituency.

The APC protesters said they would remain at the INEC office until the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Emmanuel Alex Hart, received their petition. Agbonyinma claimed that the president, Mohammadu Buhari won the presidential election in Edo State, 

According to him, it was  God’s miracle for the Electoral Officer that helped the PDP rig the election to have called him to demand ” for payment of his balance”.

He said he was also protesting refusal of the INEC’s Legal Officer to give him access to the CTC, alleging that there was hidden agenda by INEC in delaying the process of his filing his petition at the tribunal.

“When I received the call, I was shocked. The man thought I was the PDP chairman. He opened up on how he was able to manipulate the system for the PDP and told me to bring the balance payment. The man said he was the Collating Officer for Ward six. He said they gave him the number of  Ise-Idehen but he decided to call the PDP chairman first”. 

Agbonyinma said the caller had been arrested along with others alllegedly involved “and he has confessed. The security agencies are doing their work and they would soon come out with their findings”.

Head of Administration of INEC in the state, Christian Utong, who received the petition from Agbonyinma, explained that the Legal Adviser had to take permission from the headquarters before releasing the CTC of the result sheets.

“We are here for you. The REC is away because of Saturday’s election. I will deliver your message to the REC. We will attend to all grievances”, Utong promised.

Attempts to get the reaction of the state chairman of the party, Dan Osi Orbih and the publicity secretary, Chris Nehikhare were unsuccessful as they failed to get back to the magazine as promised.