The ruling Peoples Democratic Party and
the All Progressive Grand Alliance in Abia State are trading blame over a
fire that razed the office of the Independent National Electoral
Commission in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state.
The INEC office in Obingwa went up in flames on Sunday morning.
Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, hails from the council area.
The Police Public Relations Officer in
the state, Mr. Udevioutu Onyeke, who confirmed the incident to our
correspondent in Umuahia, said the police have yet to ascertain the
extent of damage and the cause.
Onyeke said he could not tell whether or not the fire was deliberately started by some persons or accidental.
But in a swift reaction, a source close to the government accused the APGA of being responsible for the fire.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said,
“Persons suspected to be stalwarts of APGA this morning set the INEC
office at Mgboko, the Obingwa council headquarters’ on fire.
“Eye witnesses said those who started
the fire came with weapons such as guns, axes, knives and gallons of
fuel, and were chanting APGA victory songs and brandishing APGA
emblems.”
But in his response, the APGA chairman
in the state, Augustine Ehiemere, denied the allegation, saying it was
an attempt by the PDP-led administration to cover its “ fraud at the
polls.”
Ehiemere said it was surprising that
people could accuse the APGA for the dastardly act when the party needed
the electoral materials in the burnt INEC office to support its
petition at the tribunal.
The APGA chairman said, “The government
burnt down the place to destroy evidence against its fraud. They did it
because the tribunal had ordered INEC to assemble the electoral
materials on Monday (today).
Also responding, the APGA governorship
candidate in the state, Dr. Alex Otti, accused some thugs loyal to the
state government of starting the fire.
Otti ,who spoke through his media aide,
Jennifer Ben-Okereke, alleged that the PDP was afraid that the electoral
materials in the burnt office would affect its case at the tribunal.
The APGA candidate said that when his
team of forensic experts went to the council headquarters to inspect the
electoral materials, they were allegedly attacked by thugs suspected to
be loyal to Ikpeazu.
He, therefore , appealed to security agents to thoroughly investigate the incident with a view to fishing out the culprits.
In his response, Ikpeazu condemned the perpetrators, describing them as enemies of the state.
A statement by his Chief Press
Secretary, Godwin Adindu, partly read, “Governor Ikpeazu, who inspected
the scene of the 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.”
Ikpeazu also called on the security agencies to beef up security in all INEC offices in the state to forestall such incident.
He said the violence was caused by some
disgruntled persons in the state who were trying to frustrate the
efforts of the government in providing the dividends of democracy.
While reiterating the determination of
his government to maintain law and order, and protect lives and
properties in the state, Ikpeazu warned the perpetrators of such act to
turn a new leaf.
“The current administration will not tolerate such acts,” he said.
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