The LP Chairman in the state, Calistus Ihejiagwa, who led the enraged members of the opposition, accused INEC of trying to frustrate its party from challenging the result of the November governorship poll.
Supporters and members of the Labour Party in Imo State on Monday staged a protest at the state secretariat office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Owerri, the state capital, over the alleged delay of the electoral umpire in releasing the Certified True Copies of the just concluded governorship election in the state.
The LP Chairman in the state, Calistus Ihejiagwa, who led the enraged members of the opposition, accused INEC of trying to frustrate its party from challenging the result of the November governorship poll.
The members who sang solidarity songs, displayed placards with various inscriptions such as, “INEC is supposed not be unbiased”, “INEC, Justice delayed is Justice denied”, “INEC release CTC” “INEC should be independent” and so on.
Speaking to Journalists at the Imo INEC headquarters, the LP chairman said that the result as declared INEC was not the true reflection of what transpired at the polling units.
Ihejiagwa, who was on a wheel chair, said that INEC and the security agents allegedly connived with the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to compromise the election.
He said that his party was ready to challenge the outcome of the election in court but INEC officials were allegedly employing delay tactics in a bid to frustrate the party from challenging the result of the election at the election petition Tribunal.
He said, “The first time I came here was on the evening of 11 November, I was hale and hearty, strong and I came with my two legs .But I was beaten mercilessly and thrown outside from inside the collation room right in the presence of the State Commissioner of Police, two federal commissioners of INEC, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Sylvia Agu, Heads of Security Chiefs in the state, by thugs brought in by a top aide of Governor Uzodimma, because I had demanded that the right thing should be done.
“Today I am here again in a wheel chair rising from the severe assault by the APC thugs on the evening of 11 November which had affected my spinal cord, demanding from the INEC to give us the certified true copy of the fake results they used in declaring Senator Hope Uzodimma and they have refused – nine days after the election.
“The National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, the federal Commission representing the South East, Ken Ukaogu and the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Sylvia Agu have refused to release the CTC after 9 days.
“They mocked Labour Party inside the collation hall that we should go to Court . The Returning Officer, Prof Abayomi Fasina had bluntly told us to go to court. We have applied for the CTC so that we can go to court but the INEC is delaying which is deliberate; just to frustrate us.
“We have come here this afternoon so that the entire world will hear our voice that the INEC is frustrating us, using technical reasons that the delay from is one office or the other.”
Responding, the INEC Head of Voter Education and Logistics , Emmanuelle Opara, said that INEC had already acknowledged the receipt of the application of the party for the certified true copy of 11 November governorship polls, as it was the right of the party to do so.
She said, “INEC has already acknowledged the receipt of the application of the party for the certified true copy of the governorship election and it will be made available to you as it is your right to do so.
“The results are being assembled and will be costed and, when it is ready, you will be notified and when you pay, it will be given to you.”
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