Over 1,000 angry Abia women, most dressed in black, recently stormed the state headquarters of the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) in protest to protest alleged manipulation of National Assembly polls result in Abia State. They protested against what they described as the falsification of the March 28 National Assembly elections in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As stated by the women, the results of election which was peacefully conducted in the state, “were rigged by the PDP in connivance with some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.” The women acting under the aegis of Abia Women and Good Goverce demanded that their “votes must count.” They said that the results of the National Assembly (NASS) poll were not the true reflection of the people's votes. The leader of the group, Ms Jenifer Ukaobasi, said: “We freely voted for the candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the Senate and House of Representatives, but we were surprised that our votes did not count. “We are tired of the status quo, we want a positive change in Abia and we voted for APGA.” “We want to tell INEC that enough is enough.” Speaking in the same vein, 75-year-old Madam Patience Eleleme, leader of Grassroots Women, who were also part of the protest, regretted that they stood under the scorching sun to vote for APGA but INEC declared PDP candidates as winners. “Our grouse is that we voted for APGA but the ruling PDP government rigged the results in connivance with some unscrupulous INEC officials. What we are requesting is that our votes must count.” The protesters displayed placards with different inscriptions, some of which read: “We will speak again”, “This time, you will kill us first before you steal our votes again”, “APGA won all”, among others. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Selina Oko,wwho received the protesters expressed worry over the series of protests that had trailed the results of the polls. Mrs. Oko said that she was disturbed because the protests portrayed her as having not done well, “in spite of my efforts to ensure that the exercise is credible.” She urged them to assist her with documented evidence of the alleged fraud, including the one involving any of her officials, to enable her take the matter to the highest quarters.
