PDP, APGA trade words on burnt Abia INEC office

The Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressive Grand Alliance in Abia State are trading blame over a fire that razed the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state.

The INEC office in Obingwa went up in flames on Sunday morning, allegedly the handiwork of some arsonists.

Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, hails from the council area.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Udevioutu Onyeke, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent in Umuahia, said the police had yet to ascertain the extent of damage and the possible cause.

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Onyeke said he could not tell whether or not the fire was deliberately started by some persons or accidental.

A source, close to the government, accused APGA of being responsible for the fire.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Persons, suspected to be stalwarts of APGA, this morning set the building housing INEC office at Mgboko, the Obingwa council headquarters, on fire.

“Eyewitnesses said those who started the fire came with weapons such as guns, axes and knives and gallons of fuel, and were chanting APGA victory songs and brandishing APGA emblems.”

But in his response, the APGA chairman in the state, Augustine Ehiemere, denied the allegation, saying it was an attempt by the the PDP-led administration to cover its ” fraud at the polls.”

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Ehiemere said it was surprising that PDP would accuse APGA of the dastardly act when the latter needed the electoral materials in the burnt INEC office to support its petition against Ikpeazu at the tribunal.

The APGA chairman said, “The government burnt down the place to destroy evidence against its fraud . They did it because the tribunal had ordered INEC to assemble the electoral materials on Monday (tomorrow).

Also responding, the APGA governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Alex Otti, accused some thugs loyal to the state government of starting the fire.

Otti, who spoke through his media aide, Jennifer Ben-Okereke, alleged that the PDP was afraid that the electoral materials in the burnt office would jeopardise its case at the tribunal.

The APGA candidate said that when his team of forensic experts went to the council headquarters to inspect the electoral materials, they were allegedly attacked by thugs suspected to be loyal to Ikpeazu.

He appealed to security agents to thoroughly investigate the incident with a view to fishing out the culprits.

In his response, Ikpeazu condemned the perpetrators, describing them as enemies of the state.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Godwin Adindu, partly read, “Governor Ikpeazu, who inspected the scene of the fire later in the day, expressed shock at the level of damage done to the building and charged the police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that the culprits are brought to book.”

Ikpeazu also called on the security agencies to beef up security at all INEC offices in the state to forestall such incidents.

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