Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Governor-elect, Chief David Umahi, and the deputy governor-elect, Dr Kelechi Igwe, have been issued with their certificates of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The event took place during a brief ceremony held at the commission’s headquarters in Abakaliki, the state capital. They were accompanied by their wives, party faithful, members of the state executive council, some National and House of Assembly members respectively among others.
Speaking shortly after receiving their return certificates, Governor Umahi thanked the Ebonyi electorate for voting for them for the second time. The governor who dedicated their victory to God and the people pledged to work more for them.
Umahi, however, called for an extensive amendment to the current electoral laws saying that it was partly the cause of the electoral problems the country records every election year.
This was even as he called for the introduction of electronic means of voting in the country which according to him, would help to end the bloodsheds and violence usually witnessed after every election.
“I want INEC to change their style…. I want to ask Nigerians to look at our electoral laws. We have to start on time to make amends to our electoral laws.
“In some advanced countries, you allow the serving governments to have their primaries one year before the election and the opposition to have theirs two years before.
“This will help us to do away with all the primary election problems and then, it will not be burdened with ‘INEC field this candidate, INEC does not field this candidate.
“I have directed the security agencies to give me the details of all the breaches security wise. And if anyone involves INEC, I will move into INEC as a citizen of this country and demand justice,” the governor vowed.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Prof. Godswill Obioma, commended the people of the state for conducting themselves peacefully during the elections.