The Labour Party of Imo has distanced itself from the outcome of the governorship elections declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC], which was held on November 11 in Imo State.
News.ng gathered that Callistus Ihejiagwa, the party’s chairman, made this statement on Sunday in an interview with reporters in Owerri in response to the election results.
Ihejiagwa declared that the announced outcome was unsatisfactory and that the election was marked by “attacks, intimidation, and stiff opposition to the will of the masses.”
Ihejiagwa cited paragraph 48, sub-paragraphs A and B of the electoral guideline to support his claim that he petitioned INEC over the voter accreditation process before the final collation. Still, the commission ignored his request and continued with the collation.
He said that All Progressives Congress thugs beat him up in front of security guards after he demanded that collations stop so that his party’s appeal could be heard. He was also accused of interfering with the proceedings.
Election guidelines, paragraph 48, sub-paragraphs A and B, provide that collation cannot begin until the Returning Officer certifies that accrediting has been completed in compliance with legal requirements.
“This legal provision was broken, and our unalienable right to a fair trial was refused, even though we made multiple requests for our petition to be considered nearly two hours prior to the commencement of the collation process.”However, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, the Returning Officer, said that he was unable to consider the petition.
He said, “With the RO’s insistence, thugs of the APC beat me up, threw me out of the hall and robbed me of 1,000 dollars and another ₦50,000 which I had on me,” Police officers, one of whom I identified as SP Amaechi Kennedy, took me to the police station where I was eventually detained in a cell and only released by 11:00 am on Sunday after the announcement of the result, for a crime I was never told,”
Ihejiagwa said that the LP would take proper action to pursue justice for all the problems highlighted and that the LP had all the proof of the assault that occurred on live TV during collation.
He was upset because he felt he was not protected by security at the collation centre and that INEC had not responded to his petition. He insisted that Sen. Athan Achonu, the LP’s candidate, had won the election and would provide evidence of it in court.
“We will be seeking judicial redress because we took the time to document the irregularities in the elections and prepare a strongly worded petition that was never heard.”LP fully distanced itself from the alleged outcome and intends to contest it in court, bringing forth all available information.
“We will seek restitution in court for the mandate won by our candidate, Sen. Athan Achonu,” he declared.
