“I said under me, votes must count”
The Returning Officer for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the Abia state governorship election, and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Professor Nnenna Oti, has disclosed that she declared the governorship result in the face of threats, intimidation, as well as monetary inducements.
She disclosed this while addressing students and staff of the institution who gave her a hero’s welcome during her return to the school on Tuesday.
According to Oti, she refused to compromise the Abia governorship election despite being offered money and threatened, insisting that votes cast during the election must count.
“As an electoral officer, I have never in my life participated in any election but duty came calling.
“I made my enquires from Abuja and I said ‘If I perish, I perish’…
“They (names withheld) came with their threats, money, and intimidation but I stood my ground.
“I didn’t start today. I stand here before God and Jesus Christ, I have never defrauded anyone.
“I said under me, votes must count”, she said in a viral video.
Recall that the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Abia state, Alex Otti defeated his opponents Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Enyinnaya Nwafor of the Young Peoples Party (YPP) with 175,467 votes to emerge the winner.
