Michael Otu, the collation officer for Orumba North local government area of Anambra State in Saturday’s election has claimed he signed the election result under duress, refusing to read out the result. 

He further accused officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) attached to him of conniving with those who disrupted the electoral process. 

He said his experience on the field was pathetic but “I thank God I’m alive. I signed the results, but I didn’t believe in the results”. 

“An INEC staff, Assistant Collation Officer, turned me to her house boy. I was monitored around, I signed the result because I saw my life was in danger,” he added. 

He further claimed he was tear-gassed and almost collapsed.

Florence Obi, the state returning officer, asked Otu to produce the results, but he insisted he did not believe in the result.

Obi, the returning officer for the state, therefore called on the electoral officer accused by Otu to clear the air on the allegations against him.

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The accused officer noted, “He has never had the experience of how to collate results. He does not know the difference between conducting elections and collation. When collation officers finished their work, this man spent two hours on each. This man does not know his left from the right.”

Obi, the returning officer for the state, stated that the Orumba North LGA is the only local government area she got a distressed call from during the election. 

“I had to call the commissioner of police that the life of my staff (member) was in danger,” she said.

She then collected the documents from Otu, and asked him to go. The results were not read out by Otu

Victor Umeh, the agent representing the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) accused the collation officer of being “hired to destroy this election.” 

He said his party won the election in the council area.

He further said Otu’s account had no basis.