Cross River: Sen Onor rejects outcome of governorship election results, heads to court

From Judex Okoro, Calabar

Barely a week after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared
All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu, winner of the elections in Cross River state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Sen. Sandy Onor, has rejected the outcome, decribing the processes as flawed.

The state Collation Officer for Governorship Election in the state, Prof. Teddy Charles Adias, jad on Monday last week, announced that Sen. Bassey Edet Otu polled a total of 258,619 votes to defeat his closest rival, Prof. Sandy Onor that scored179, 636 votes.

In a statement released in Calabar on Sunday, Onor said the fundamental norm of every contest entails that there must be a winner and a loser,
but the contest must also be free, fair and credible.

The statement read in part: “We are all aware that the said election was marred by a plethora of irregularities. The Independent National Electoral Commission was neither independent nor
impartial.

“INEC officials aided by security personnel manipulated the system, altered results at various collation levels and frustrated the will of the majority of Cross Riverians.

“Indeed, the election of Saturday, March 18, 2023 was characterised by outright vote buying, intimidation of voters and violence, which regrettably led
o loss of lives.

“We express our heartfelt sympathies to the families of these heroes of democracy. We assure you that the perpetrators of this crime shall be brought to
justice, if not by man, by God.

“We have consulted with our legal and technical teams as well as stakeholders to review the entire electoral process and have come to the inescapable conclusion that we must seek legal redress.

“This is tailored to meet the yearnings and aspirations of
a vast majority of Cross Riverians. We are confident that we will get justice.”

He appealed to the supporters across the length and breadth of the state to remain calm while the legal processes take its course.