The Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in the Saturday Imo State governorship election, Senator Athan Nneji Achonu has rejected the result of the election.
Speaking at a press conference in his home on Sunday, Achonu expressed shock and disappointment with the entire exercise, calling for its cancellation.
“Yesterday was very sad day. It was a big shock to me. The DSS, police and military have wrecked our democracy.”
He said fear pervaded everywhere because of the heavy security presence and affected everyone.
He noted that INEC brought people from different parts of the country ready to work but they were afraid of the heavy presence of security operatives who drove menacingly around town in a show of force without even speaking to the people to allay their fears.
Moreover, he said, the INEC staff, a part from other considerations, had heard the terrible stories about the killing in Imo State, and were not ready to risk their lives.
He noted that the election was fraught with several irregularities.
“Voting materials were hijacked and taken to state commissiners’ houses, and palaces of traditional rulers where the results were written,” he said.
“I enjoin the press to tell the world what you saw. All INEC ad hoc staff should come out and say what you saw. I am receiving some calls already. Let us join hands and take back our state.”
Achonu urged the Labour Party not to be disillusioned.
Achonu stated that there was no voting in so many local government areas. In some cases, he alleged that they didn’t want to collate the results or took them to local government headquarters and barred other party agents from entering, by security agents that were supposed to protect the people.
Achonu rejected the result and “called for a total cancellation. We are approaching the courts immediately. We won the election,” he declared, adding that he had not lost hope in the judiciary.
He apologised for failing to protect the votes, as promised, especially the youths and explained that he backed down after seeing the heavy deployment of security agents and didn’t want to endanger any youth’s life, trying to protect the votes.
He said he spoke to the IGP and the head of DSS, who assured him that they would ensure security and fairness but disappointed the people.
However, he commended the NSCDC for doing an excellent work and speaking out despite not talking to their boss.
Achonu called on the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to cancel the Imo election and order a rerun.
Also, Achonu strongly
condemned the brutalisation of the Imo State Labour Party, who doubled as the party agent at the collation centre.
to court over Ihejiagwa, wondering why the man should be battered for doing his work.
Prof. Abayomi Fashina, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer, had declared Uzodinma winner, having won in all 27 local government areas of the state as announced at the collation centre in Owerri the state capital.
According to the drvkared result, APC won by 540,308 votes, PDP came second with 71,503 votes, the Labour Party candidate came third, scoring 64,081 votes while APGA came 4th with 6,392 votes.
However, the election was marred by alleged malpractice and is going to be challenged in court as Achonu had already indicated.
