Our reporter / The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer in the Abia State governorship election, Prof. Nnenna Otti, has revealed that she was offered financial inducement to manipulate the election results.
Before Alex Otti of the Labour Party was declared the winner last Wednesday, the results for Obingwa local government were markedly delayed, arousing tension amongst the electorate of the state.
Otti, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, made the revelation on Tuesday while being welcomed by the management, staff and students of the university.
According to her, before the final declaration of the result, she was promised huge monetary inducement to change the will and mandate of the people of Abia but that she remained resolute in the face of heavy intimidation and threats.
“As an electoral officer, I have never in my life participated in any election, but duty came calling, I made my enquiries from Abuja,” Otti said.
“If I perish, I perish, they came with their threats, they came with their money, they came with their intimidation.”
She stated that she stood on her ideals and principles not to short-change anyone and ensured that the will of the people of Abia prevailed and that their votes counted during the election.
“I didn’t start today; I stand here before God, Jesus Christ. I have never defrauded anyone, all l I did was to declare the riot act as follows: Under me, votes must count. Under me, the people’s mandate will be upheld because I, Professor Nnnena Otti, can never do evil,” she said.
The labour party (LP) candidate, Alex Otti was declared winner of the election with 175,467 of the votes with Okey Ahiwe of the PDP and Enyinnaya Nwafor of YPP scoring 88,529 and 28,972 respectively.
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