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BREAKING: Ebonyi Primary Election Turns Chaotic, Scores Injured

Published

6 months ago

May 31, 2024.

Ebonyi Primary Election Turns Chaotic, ahead of Local Government Area election, turned violent on Friday.
Disputes between APC members and election officials led to chaos and violence in various parts of the state.
Several youths were injured, including machete wounds, due to hoodlums infiltrating the election venue.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that a primary election for a 5-man delegate/councillorship held in anticipation of the Local Government Area election in Ebonyi State, scheduled for July 20, 2024, descended into chaos on Friday.

This online media platform reports that the election turned violent in various parts of the state today. The unrest reportedly stemmed from disputes between members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and officials overseeing the election process.

According to Vanguard, the violence resulted in several youths sustaining injuries, including machete wounds inflicted by hoodlums who infiltrated the election venue.

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In contrast, some anonymous youths claimed that there was no election in Ekka ward, located in Ezza North Local Government area of Ebonyi State.

However, a stakeholder from Ekka ward and the Commissioner for Rural Development, Barr Ikeuwa Omebe, refuted the report of violence in his ward.

Omebe stated that the delegate election was conducted in a free, fair, and credible manner.

He said, “Well, I am surprised of what you are saying. The election in my Ward was peaceful. People queued behind the aspirant of their Choice while the election went on smoothly. In my presence nothing like that happened. You know youths now, they are on their own.

“Maybe the incident you are talking about took place after the election was conducted. As at when we were there the election was peacefully done. Disagreements will never happen between myself and the Coordinator of my DC.

“As at the time I got to the Venue of the election and after we left, there was nothing like that. The election in my Ward went on peacefully.”

Also, a councillorship aspirant, Agbo Sunday from Okposhi Ward I in Ngbo Central of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State told reporters that election did not hold in his Ward as some individuals conspired against the election.

“The Staff of EBSEIC didn’t play his role well. We were about four aspirants who stood in for the election but only the result of one contestant was counted.

“I am calling on Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, the State Chairman of APC, and EBSEIC boss to cancel this election because what happened on the field wasn’t an election,” Sunday said.

Another aspirant, Igwe Frank Arinze, for Okposhi Ward I Councillorship primary election alleged that the Retuning Officer by the name Friday Onwe, after he counted the votes of one Henry Okpe refused to count his own votes.

He said: “When the retuning officer realised that those standing behind me were more than those of Mr. Henry Okpe’s, he decided not to count my own. When we asked to know why he did that, he said he was instructed to count only those on Henry Okpe’s line.

“And after counting Henry Okpe’s votes, those that came to conduct the election, rushed into their car and drove off. But before they drove off, the thugs they had prearranged, started attacking my people.

“We had to rush into our car and drove off in order to save our lives. But before we drove off, they attacked my car and damaged some part of it. And so, we managed to drive to 135 to save our lives.