Ben Dunno, Warri
The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the last Saturday’s National Assembly election for the Warri federal constituency, Mr. Alex Eyengho, has cried out over alleged toxic votes in the results released by INEC officials.
He accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of involvement in ballot box stuffing, votes buying and instigation of violence at various units and wards in Ugborodo (Itsekiri riverine settlements) in Warri South West Council area.
But in a swift reaction to the allegations, the Director-General (DG) of Thomas Ereyitomi Campaign Organisation, Chief Robinson Ariyo, dismissed the allegations, describing them as false, baseless and a calculated attempt to whip up unnecessary sentiments in a credible contest that had been won and lost.
Raising the allegations while addressing newsmen in Warri, Mr Eyengho, who decried the level of desperation exhibited by the PDP candidate and his supporters all through the election, said he was prepared to exhaust all available legal means to get justice.
According to him, “let me state very manifestly clear that the said rouged and crooked election was laced with all manner of living examples of unprecedented electoral malpractices, ballot-box stuffing, vote buying.
“Life-threatening electoral violence, record-breaking irregularities, deliberate circumvention of the Card Readers in connivance with security agents, INEC staff and ad-hoc staff, etc across the three Warri local government areas (Warri South, Warri North, and Warri South West) that make up the Warri federal constituency.
“For the above demonic reasons and more, I have briefed my team of seasoned lawyers who have since swung into action. I am demanding immediate deleting of all toxic votes fraudulently awarded to the PDP candidate, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, by the manifestly compromised INEC and my immediate declaration as winner of the said election based on the physical votes cast by the electorate across the Warri federal constituency.”
Reacting, however, the Ereyitomi Campaign Organisation said in a statement signed by that “it amounts to dreaming for anyone including the APC candidate to have expected to win an election for which he did not work at all.
“It is our belief that Alex Eyengho is just a bad loser and one who is in dire need of attention; that we shall not oblige him”.