Abia Guber: Otti In Clear Lead

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday commenced the announcement of the result of Saturday’s governorship poll with Labour Party’s (LP) candidate, Dr Alex Otti, in a clear lead.
The State Returning Officer, Prof. Nnenna Oti, had announced the results from 10 Local Government Areas (LGAs) at the heavily guarded state INEC Collation Centre in Umuahia before adjourning collation yesterday.
Of the 10 LGAs, LP polled 65,968 votes, while its closest rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 53,042 votes.
The LGAs include Ukwa East: LP 2273; PDP 2329, Ukwa West: LP 2833; PDP 4622, Bende: LP 9886; PDP 3410, Isialangwa North: LP 7323; PDP 21,741.
Others are Isialangwa South: LP 7589; PDP 9093; Arochukwu: LP 12,689; PDP 1,280, Ugwunagbo: LP 2,153; PDP 2,538, Isuikwuato: LP 8228; PDP 2204, Ikwuano: LP 7054; PDP 2,427 and Umunneochi: LP 5940; PDP 3,198.
The state returning officer  promised that all the results would be reviewed and determined against the backdrop of alleged infractions, including outbreak of violence, snatching of ballot boxes with the papers and manhandling of INEC officials in some LGAs, in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
There were  allegations and counter-allegations of infractions, especially by the Collation Agents of LP and PDP, Messrs Acho Obioma and Charles Egeonu, respectively.
Meanwhile, the headquarters of INEC in a tweet on its Twitter handle yesterday afternoon, wrote that: “Thugs have invaded our Obingwa Local Government Area office in Abia State.
“Security agencies have been alerted.
“The Commission is monitoring the situation and will issue a statement shortly.
The Tide source reports that results from the remaining seven LGAs, including Obingwa, had yet to be brought to the Collation Centre at the time of adjournment.
In another development, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has adjourned the collation of results for the governorship election in Cross River State to today.
The State Returning Officer, Prof. Teddy Adies, announced the adjournment midway into the collation of the results yesterday at the state INEC Collation Centre in Calabar.
Adies said the adjournment became necessary to ensure that the results of three remaining LGAs were available after 15 of the 18 LGAs of the state were announced by the collation officers.
“The exercise will continue in the morning on Monday, by 9am, hopefully, the results of the remaining three LGAs would be available by then.
“I thank the party agents, journalists, observers and everyone here at the collation centre for your patience, let us continue tomorrow,” he said.
Three of the remaining LGAs are Akamkpa, Boki and Obanliku.
The Tide source also reports that collation started at about 5 p.m. at the heavily guarded INEC Collation Centre in Calabar.