Abia guber: Mixed reactions trail burning of INEC office

PETER OKORE, Aba.

Barely a few days to the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Abia State had directed that materials used for the April, 2015 Elections in Obingwa and two other local government areas in Abia State be brought to the Tribunal premises for inspection, as earlier requested by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the INEC office in Obingwa was, Sunday morning, set ablaze by unknown hoodlums.

Neither the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nor APGA has, however claimed responsibility for the dastardly act. Instead mixed reactions have continued to trail the mysterious fire outbreak that burnt down the offices of the INEC at Mgboko, headquarters of Obingwa Local Council of Abia State. Both the APGA and the PDP are now trading accusations over responsibility of the fire incident.

The mid-day fire incident which eyewitness and the state radio station, Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State claimed started around 11am on Sunday and was masterminded by yet to be identified arsonists.

In furtherance to the claims of innocence, both parties the APGA and PDP in the state at their separate media briefings in Umuahia, Monday, condemned the inferno while calling on the security agencies to commence investigations into the matter with a view to fish-out the perpetrators.

The state chairman of APGA, Rev Augustine Ehiemere accused the PDP of being behind the fire outbreak. “The APGA received with shock and utmost disappointment the news that INEC Office in Obingwa L.G.A. has been set ablaze by political hoodlums, suspected to be working for the PDP, and Abia State government”.

While condemning the fire outbreak which  the party described as latest infamy of futility, “We call on the federal government, INEC and the necessary security agencies to pay special attention to Abia State and take very decisive measures to ensure that justice is not raped”.

The APGA state chairman recalled that “the PDP had in a similar attempt during the last election set INEC office in Isiala Ngwa South ablaze after discovering that the APGA House of Assembly candidate was leading to victory against the PDP candidate”.

In his reaction over the fire outbreak, the state chairman of PDP, Senator Emma Nwaka, described the incident as unfortunate.

Said he “What we cannot understand is why APGA should take over the functions of the Police and other security agencies. It is important to call our minds back to what happened during the last general election where INEC office at Isiala-Ngwa South was burnt down.

“We know it as done by our opponent, because they claimed that is their home ground, and as God may have it, we won both the state House of Assembly and the federal house seats there and what they could do was to go and burn down the building.”

“It is unfortunate that they are at it again. If  there is any local government that you will expect PDP, any day to win fair and square, it is that where the party’s governorship candidate and serving governor is from; and that is Obingwa.

“So we have no reason to set the place ablaze, we are aware that the Election Petition Tribunal has allowed both parties joint inspection of materials used by INEC for the local government, we are ready for that. We are aware that initially they had wanted to do the inspection alone, but our lawyers insisted that both parties should jointly inspect the material, we are indeed unhappy with what has happened”.

According to reports, the incident which occurred at about 1.00pm Sunday razed the entire building, including the store and Electoral Officer’s office.

An occupant at the staff quarters at the council headquarters at Mgboko who pleaded for identity protection, told Hallmark that they merely saw thick smoke coming out from the INEC’s office.
“We came back from church and saw a thick smoke around the INEC office. Before we could know what to do, security men had cordoned-off the area. The fire nearly spread to the Education and Social Development buildings before it was put-off. But by then everything had
been burnt. Those security men could have better pictures of the perpetrators.”

However, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ezekiel Onyeke, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview in Umuahia, but said that information on the fire was still sketchy.

Also reacting to the incident, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu after inspecting the incident condemned the perpetrators, describing them as enemies of the state.

Ikpeazu who inspected the scene of fire later in the day, expressed shock at the level of damage done to the building and charged the police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that the culprits are brought to book.

The governor also called on the Police and the Army to beef–up security in all INEC formations in the state to forestall such incidents.

In a swift reaction, media assistant to Otti, Mrs. Jennifer Ben-Okereke, alleged that the fire incident was another desperate attempt by PDP, in connivance with INEC to destroy the electoral materials and deny Otti access to inspect them.