Abia North leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to assist Senator Mao Ohuabunwa to recover his alleged “stolen mandate in the hands of Orji Uzor Kalu of the All Progressives Congress.
The party leadership gave this assurance when during a solidarity visit to the Senator Mao Ohuabunwa on Monday at his Arochukwu country home.
The delegation led by Abia North zonal chairman, Hon Engr Mathew Ibe, and other PDP chieftains, assured Ohuabunwa its unflinching support,adding that Orji Uzor Kalu cannot run away with a stolen mandate.
He said that Abia North PDP as one united family would stop at nothing until “the people’s mandate given to our candidate but forcefully stolen by APC is returned “.
Ibe, the former lawmaker, expressed shock that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could issue certificate of return to Kalu “even when he was never returned nor declared winner of the Abia North senatorial contest by the returning officer”.
He urged INEC to withdraw Kalu’s certificate of return and organise re-run election in all the polling units and wards where votes were cancelled.
“This is the height of impunity and rascality for a man who was never returned in an election to be issued with the certificate of return.
“Kalu only scored the highest number of votes by fraudulently allocating figures to himself but still at that, the 10,000 votes margin of win remains a far cry from the over 38,000 total number of canceled votes.
“It is only a question of time and our candidate’s stolen mandate will be restored “, he said.
The PDP zonal chairman urged other successful candidates of the party including Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and his deputy Ude Oko Chukwu not to abandon the senator but relentlessly sustain their support until his mandate is restored.
Responding, Ohuabunwa thanked the delegation for their solidarity visit and expressed faith that he would get justice at the tribunal.
He said the position of the law and INEC guideline on the principle of margin of win was very clear, and “unambiguously makes it illegal” for a candidate to be returned in an election if the margin of win is less than the number of canceled votes.
Ohuabunwa said “Kalu knows that what he has is a stolen mandate which he will soon surrender
“He knows the truth but only thinks he can play smart but unfortunately for him we are resolute in reclaiming the people’s mandate”.
