He noted that this was with a view to frustrate him from challenging the declaration of Governor Hope Uzodimma as validly elected governor in the poll.
The governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the Imo election, Senator Athan Achonu, has accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Sylvia Agu, of denying his legal team access to certified true copies of documents used for the election as required by law, after an official request had been made to the electoral umpire.
Achonu in a statement issued through his Director Media/Publicity Campaign Organisation, Mr Chibuikem Diala, said it was pertinent to alert the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies of the delay tactics the REC had employed to deny him and his party access to those materials.
He noted that this was with a view to frustrate him from challenging the declaration of Governor Hope Uzodimma as validly elected governor in the poll.
He noted that while the INEC had speedily declared the results of the November 11 poll in less than 12 hours, it was taking the same INEC over 144 hours to issue the documents backing their pronouncements.
He said: “Our attention has been drawn to mischievous plans by Imo State INEC under Prof Sylvia Agu to deny our legal team access to certified true copies of documents used for the November 11 governorship election in Imo State as required by law. This is after an official request has been made by our solicitors to the State INEC office and duly acknowledged and received on November 15, 2023.
“We only hope that this delay is not a decoy by Imo State INEC and agents of the APC-led government to perfect their rigging by tampering with sensitive materials in INEC office. This strategy to deny the people of Imo State the opportunity to have a leader of their choice will not work as we call on INEC to do the needful and stop taking Imolites for granted,” he avowed.
He further added, “Some pertinent questions begging for answers include: If INEC does not have anything to hide, and willing to come to equity with clean hands, why then are they delaying the release of the CTC of requested materials? INEC was so efficient to announce the results of 27 LGAs in less than 12 hours after the elections.
‘Why then is it taking the same INEC over 144 hours to issue the documents backing their pronouncements? One would expect a better and efficient approach from the electoral body.
“Therefore, we also call on the security agencies and the INEC led by Prof Mahmoud to do all they can to ensure that the certified true copies are released as requested and timely too.”
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