You Burnt INEC Office, No You Did - PDP, APGA

The ruling 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.
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 have yet to ascertain the
extent of damage and the cause.
Onyeke said he could not tell whether or not the fire was deliberately started by some
persons or accidental.
But in a swift reaction, a source close to the government accused the APGA of being
responsible for the fire.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Persons suspected to be stalwarts of APGA
this morning set the INEC office at Mgboko, the Obingwa council headquarters’ on fire.
“Eye witnesses said those who started the fire came with weapons such as guns, axes,
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 PDP-led administration to cover its “ fraud at
the polls.”
Ehiemere said it was surprising that people could accuse the APGA for the dastardly
act when the party needed the electoral materials in the burnt INEC office to support its
petition 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 (today).
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 affect 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, therefore , 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 in all INEC offices in the
state to forestall such incident.
He said the violence was caused by some disgruntled persons in the state who were
trying to frustrate the efforts of the government in providing the dividends of
democracy.
While reiterating the determination of his government to maintain law and order, and
protect lives and properties in the state, Ikpeazu warned the perpetrators of such act to
turn a new leaf.
“The current administration will not tolerate such acts,” he said.