The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are both claiming victory in yesterday’s National Assembly elections in Abia State.

As at the time of filing this report, only results from three local governments had been received by the INEC State Headquarters in the capital city of Umuahia. Results from the remaining 14 councils were still being awaited.

This has given reign to speculations, claims and counter-claims by the rival political parties, particularly the APGA and PDP.

APGA is claiming that exit polls indicated that its candidates for the National Assembly contest swept the polls, while PDP is claiming victory, urging Abians to disregard rumours that the governor lost his senatorial bid or that PDP candidates lost in the election. The party has asked Abians to be law-abiding till the official results are announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Contacted on the delay in announcing the results, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Selina Oko, said the commission was awaiting the results from the local government areas where collation of results was on-going. She acknowledged that there are some challenges which she said she was on top of but would not disclose the challenges.

On the allegation that some sort of rigging might be going on at the local government collation centres which may have occasioned the delay in transmitting the polls results to her office, Prof. Oko assured that no form of rigging would succeed. She said that any mutilated or altered result would be rejected.

She promised that the results would be released as soon as they are received by her office.

•Photo shows Abia Governor TA Orji, who reportedly lost his senatorial bid.