Peter Mbah: Enugu electorate running out of patience with INEC, says Hon. Igwesi
Some residents of Enugu and supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have, again, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to, without further delay, announce Dr. Peter Mbah as winner of last Saturday’s governorship election in Enugu State.
The winner of the Enugu governorship polls is yet to be announced following controversies over the results from Nkanu East and Nsukka local government areas of the state.
PDP supporters have been holding protests at the Enugu INEC headquarters demanding that their candidate be declared winner of the contest.
Addressing journalists, on Tuesday, a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. USA Igwesi, said the people were running out of patience.
Hon. Igwesi said collation of the governorship election results had been completed, adding that INEC had no other thing to do than declare Mr. Mbah winner.
In his words, “This is the second day of our protest, that INEC should declare Peter Mbah as the winner of the March 18, 2023 gubernatorial election in Enugu State, having polled majority of the lawful votes cast.”
Hon. Igwesi said collation of the governorship election results had been completed, adding that INEC had nothing else to do than declare Mbah winner.
“We went to the polls on the said day, and with the results collated, we needed to necromancer or a soothsayer to tell us that Peter Mbah won that election.
“We are perplexed; we are surprised that INEC is still holding this result undeclared and we are aware of the Electoral Act, Section 64, Sub Section 8 that says that once the State Returning Officer collates the result, he doesn’t have to waste a minute in announcing and declaring that result.
“That is why we are surprised that up till this movement, INEC has refused to declare Peter Mbah as the winner of the election.
“We are also aware of the provisions of Section 103, Sub Section 1 of the same Electoral Act that said that if you are aggrieved, if you have petitions, you should go to the Election Petitions Tribunal. INEC does not usurp the power of the Election Petition Tribunal.
“INEC can only receive and collate results, which they have done in this instance; they don’t have power to look at the result; they should not look at petitions; I was a member of 5th National Assembly that helped in authoring this particular Electoral Act”, Hon. Igweshi maintained.
While further faulting the electoral commission, the former lawmaker said that “I am saying that what transpired during the Collation of Presidential Election result on 25th February, should equally be applicable to Enugu State.
“On that occasion, Dino Melaye and other PDP agents, even agents of other political parties, raised an alarm that there were discrepancies, there were over-voting in the whole states of the Federation and that INEC should not go ahead with the collation of that result.
“We are begging them to come and declare Peter Mbah the winner of the election and as long as they keep holding this result, we will keep occupying Enugu”, he concluded.
