The Labour Party of Imo state has vow to challange Governor Uzodimma’s re-election at the gubernatorial election polls, insisting that All Progressive Party (APC) colluded in rigging the election in favour of Uzodimma.
This was disclosed during a press conference in Owerri by the state capital, the LP chairman in the state, Callistus Ihejiagwa, who said that the process that brought Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress as the reelected governor of the state was faulty and full of electoral irregularities.
He also said that, the security operatives allegedly aided the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the members of the APC to manipulate the poll in favour of Uzodimma while claiming that from the actual result cast, its candidate, Athan Achonu, won the election and that made him describe the poll as a daylight robbery and a rape of democracy,
According to him, it was surprising that INEC could produce results in places where there were no accreditation of voters.
He said that elections didn’t take place in most places in Orsu, Orlu, Ideato North, Okigwe, Oguta, Owerri municipal, yet INEC in collaboration with APC and security agents allegedly wrote results.
He also faulted the returning officer, Prof Abayomi Fasina of the University of Oye, Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State, for failing to address the LP petition before going on to collate the results and returned Uzodimma as the winner of the election.
Ihejiagwa said, “What happened in Imo State on Saturday was a sham. It was shameful how the security agents provided INEC staff and APC members the protection to rig the election.
“From our records, our candidate, Senator Athan Achonu won the election. We will challenge the announcement of Hope Uzodimma as the winner of the election in court. If anybody keeps quiet, of course the Labour Party and our candidate won’t. We clearly won the election. We will retrieve our mandate in court.”
(Sahara Reporters)