The Senator representing Abia North senatorial District, Chief Mao Ohuabunwa has dismissed as “a hoax and ridiculous”, rumour making rounds that he was declared wanted by the police over electoral malpractice.
Ohuabunwa, in a press release issued on Sunday, said there was no iota of truth in the rumour which he said was intended by the peddlers to smear his image.
The statement signed by his media aide, Uche Okoli, accused his political opponents of sponsoring the rumour.
According to Senator Ohuabunwa, “those behind the rumour just want to use it as a smoke screen to divert attention from their obvious connivance in the breaches of the Electoral Act during the polls.”
The statement reads: “My attention has been drawn to the rumour and blatant lie trending in some social media platforms that the police declared me wanted in connection with electoral malpractice.
“This is nothing but tissue of lies fabricated by my known political opponent to cover his atrocities and involvement in the broad day robbery of the mandate of the people of Abia North.
“It is on record that all through my political life, I have never been associated with, and will never be involved in any form of electoral malpractices knowing the consequences both as a seasoned lawmaker, and a patriotic citizen.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I was never arrested and as a law abiding citizen I will at anytime honour any invitation by the police”.
He, therefore, urged members of the public to ignore the rumour which he said was only a “propaganda tool by a political desperado”.
Ohuabunwa further dismissed the claims of victory by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Orji Uzor Kalu as “a huge joke”.
He said that the Returning Officer never declared Kalu or any contestant returned in the poll but merely announced the number of votes scored by every party.
Ohuabunwa said that contrary to claims by Kalu, the Returning Officer could not have declared him returned since the margin of victory which was 10,400 votes was far less than the total number of canceled votes which stood at over 38,000.
He argued that the Electoral Act was clear on such cases and that the only option was for the electoral umpire to conduct a re-run in the affected polling units.
The Senator urged his supporters to remain calm as his lawyers had petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do the needful.
He expressed confidence that a re-run would soon be rescheduled in the zone, vowing not to allow Kalu circumvent the will of the people.
