APGA also alleged improper collation of votes in the state, saying that when voting ended the party agents asked for the results but the electoral officers called in policemen and soldiers who forcefully took the electoral materials to unknown places.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) staff of electoral breaches during the March 28 National Assembly elections in Abia State.
In a petition to the INEC signed by its Vice Chairman, South East, Uchenna Okogbuo, the party alleged that INEC staff, the PDP, policemen and soldiers during the exercise, perpetrated massive fraudulent practices.
The APC alleged that policemen and soldiers and PDP thugs forcefully snatched ballot boxes and manhandled voters, APGA agents and unwilling electoral officers.
The party alleged that the transition committee chairmen in the state took the result sheets to unknown locations where they completed them in the presence of intending voters and party agents.
The party also alleged that in most polling units, PDP thugs with the assistance of policemen chased away agents of other political parties, adding that voting did not take place in most polling units in the state but that results were declared in respect of the units.
APGA also alleged improper collation of votes in the state, saying that when voting ended the party agents asked for the results but the electoral officers called in policemen and soldiers who forcefully took the electoral materials to unknown places.
In view of these, the party urged INEC not to use local government offices in the state as collation centres in Saturday’s elections.
They party urged the commission to use neutral public places.
It also advised the commission to ensure that local government transition committee chairmen do not have access to collation centers.
The party called for the suspension or redeployment of council electoral officers in the state, asking the INEC to send a special team to monitor the coming gubernatorial election in the state.