BVAS: No more vote manipulation, Abia LP senatorial candidate says

Mr Chinedu Onyeizu, the Labour Party Senatorial Candidate for Abia South, has expressed confidence in the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise a free and credible 2023 elections.

Onyeizu expressed his confidence on Monday in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“Now, the people have the power of choice because of INEC’s introduction of BVAS system which will ensure that the peoples vote this time will count,” he said.

Supreme reports that the race for Abia South Senatorial seat has become hot and interesting, considering the candidates jostling for the position.

The senatorial district parades the most popular candidates for the 2023 senatorial election with incumbent Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who is poised to contest for a fifth term in office, and incumbent Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.

While Ikpeazu is representing the PDP, Abaribe this time, is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), having lost the PDP ticket to Ikpeazu who wants to be a senator after serving two terms as governor.

Onyeizu, however, said that he was optimistic of emerging victorious with the youth population behind him.

“I am a young person, the youth demography makes up over 65 per cent of registered voters and in addition to that, the two major gladiators contesting against me have been tested before and they know they failed us.

“I am talking about the governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, and incumbent Senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe. We are to slug it out for the Abia South Senatorial seat and I know I will defeat them on Saturday.

“The time of manipulating votes has gone, so anybody that will vote, should be rest assured that the vote will count; that gives me hope and makes me optimistic.

“So, I urge the people of Abia and Nigerians in general to come out in their numbers on Saturday and queue up and vote for Labour Party all the way.

“And after voting, also make sure you stay back to ensure that your votes are counted and transmitted using the BVAS solution,” Onyeizu said.

According to him, his leadership, if elected, will focus on a seven-point agenda of Energy, Infrastructure, Health, Agriculture, Trade and Commerce, Education, and Empowerment.

“I will promote bills to eliminate fuel subsidy payment, bring down NNPCL to only regulatory functions as well as accelerate establishment of small local refineries and commercialise natural gas infrastructure development for domestic use.

“I will strive to promote bills that will prioritise high economic impact roads and infrastructure in Nigeria and ensure that the Port Harcourt-Aba road and Ikot-Ekpene federal roads are fixed to enable more local trade transactions.

“We will work closely with the executive to ensure that our Primary Healthcare support sector receives adequate attention.

“For the agricultural sector, we will establish regional cassava and maize processing clusters in the rural parts of our senatorial zone, using some of Abia South’s constituency project funds.

“And for education, I will promote a bill that will grant financial autonomy to tertiary institutions and allowing them to raise funds and generate their own revenue.

“We will also attract two private universities in Obingwa and Ugwunagbo with exchange programmes between the universities and world class tertiary institutions like Harvard University and MIT in the U.S.,” Onyeizu said.

The presidential election as well as the National Assembly elections are expected to hold on Feb. 25 (Saturday).