Barely 48 hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the Imo North re-run election inconclusive, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has dismissed the pronouncement of the electoral body as a ruse and a travesty of justice.
Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the party, Sir Martins Ejiogu, at a joint press briefing with the party’s candidate, Chief Athan Achonu, the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and former governorship candidate of the party, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and the Senator for Imo East (Owerri Zone), Samuel Anyanwu, insisted that the exercise was not only marred by glaring electoral irregularities perpetrated by the All Progressive Congress (APC) but possess a dangerous threat to the nation’s hard-earned democracy.
The trio spoke at the party secretariat in Owerri where they rejected the results so far declared by the INEC, as according to them, it was the opposite of what actually transpired.
While Ejiogu contended that his party would not allow the results declared by INEC to stand as the sources according to him were shrouded in mystery, Achonu recalled that the APC had prior to the the polls vowed to take the senatorial seat by all means and at all costs, hence the do- or – die approach applied by the party and its agents.
He alleged that while ballot papers were brazenly tomb-printed in the various private residences of notable chieftains of the APC, thugs dressed in fake police uniforms were used by the party who intermittently fired canisters into the air and carted away ballot papers to unknown destinations and chased the people away. “They beat and chased away all the PDP agents black and white at the collating centers excluding APC agents.
“We have all the results booth by booth and where the INEC got the result it announced I do not know.”
Chief Ihedioha, who spoke in tandem with Senator Anyanwu, argued that the PDP won landslide in Ehime Mbano, Isiala Mbano, Onuimo and eight wards in the Obowo Council area but regretted that some INEC officials connived with the officials of the state government to rob the PDP of victory at the polls. “We urge INEC to review the result which we believe was compiled under duress because we are confident that we won and should therefore be declared winner”.
Senator Anyanwu said: “The authentic results showcased the fact that the electorate in Okigwe voted massively for us and I challenge the APC to always allow free and fair election to thrive so that the wish of the people would prevail. PDP as a law-abiding party cannot tow the ignoble path of the APC to acquire power and we call on INEC to declare our candidate winner”, he said.