TheCable

Alex Otti, governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Abia, says only election results transmitted from the bimodal voter verification system (BVAS) from the various polling units in the state should be collated.

On Monday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suspended the collation of results in Abia after thugs invaded its office in Obingwa LGA.

The thugs held the INEC officials hostage before they were released, which prompted the electoral commission to call for a review of the process.

At the time collation was halted, Otti was reportedly in the lead after garnering over 80,000 votes.

Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia, hails from Obingwa LGA.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the LP candidate said INEC should declare the results to ease tension in the state.

“I have called on INEC to release the results forthwith so Abia will be at peace. It is our firm belief that INEC will do the right thing and ensure that only results that are based on the BVAS as provided in section 47 of the electoral act are acceptable,” he said.

“I believe that once that is done, we will be announced as the winners of that election.

“They (INEC) actually asked for a review which is provided for in the electoral act. INEC has about seven days even after the declaration to review and make a change if there is a need to do so.”