By Jethro Ibileke
The Imo state chapter of the Labour Party (LP), on Sunday says it will challenge the declaration of Governor Hope Uzodimma as the winner of the Saturday’s governorship election.
He said that from the actual result of votes cast, its candidate, Athan Achonu, won the election.
Speaking to journalists in Owerri on Sunday, the State Chairman of the party, Callistus Ihejiagwa, said that the process that brought reelection of Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was faulty and full of electoral irregularities.
According to him, security operatives allegedly aided the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the members of the APC to manipulate the poll in favour of Uzodimma.
He described the poll as a daylight robbery and a reap of the democracy.
According to him, it was surprising that INEC could produce results in places where there were no accredition 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 Fashina of the University of Oye, Ekiti state, for failing to address his 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 on 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 and our candidate won’t. We clearly won the election. We will retrieve our mandate in court.”