Nonsochukwu Uwa, Owerri
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leadership in Imo State, on Wednesday alleged that there was a fresh collation of election results ongoing in Imo State to upturn the victory of the PDP for the state House of Assembly elections in the state.
The State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Collins Opuozor, who disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri, mentioned Isu as one of the state constituencies where the fresh collation of election results was ongoing.
He alleged that top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, last week colluded with the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to perfect changing of results in favor of APC.
At the moment, the PDP, said according to the INEC, IREV, “out of 123 polling units in Isu LGA, 122 results have been successfully uploaded on the iREV, representing 99.19% of the total results and that the PDP candidate, Modestus Abazie Osakwe, showed he won.
“We highlighted the many electoral malpractices which marred the March 18th House of Assembly elections in Imo State. We had also, in all specificity, exposed the roles of some top INEC officials, security agencies, and, the amorphous Ebubeagu Militia in aiding and abetting this mind-boggling crime perpetrated by the APC in Imo against the Nigerian State.
“What we have found further disturbing is that those same actors in the electoral fraud have remained unrepentant, unfazed and determined to truncate democracy and plunge Imo State into anarchy.
“To be clear, the situation with the withheld Isu State Constituency election result, which was incontrovertibly won by PDP, explains the embarrassing collusion of INEC in the tragedy that has befallen democracy in Imo State.
“Nigerians should note that of the 123 polling units in Isu LGA, 122 results have been successfully uploaded on the iREV, representing 99.19% of the total results. The only result which was not transmitted came from Ekwe Ward 1, Booth 16, where APC thugs had made away with the BVAS. Nevertheless, the result has been ready with us and available at the INEC office, Owerri.
“In four other polling units where elections were disrupted by thugs because of the imminent loss of APC, the INEC Forms EC 40 G were duly signed by the POs, SPOs, and the EO. In keeping with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the INEC Guidelines, the possibility of a rerun in those areas has been effectively foreclosed. This position has also been publicly affirmed by INEC.
“Gentlemen of the Press, the total results from the eleven electoral wards in Isu LGA as now fully published on the INEC Result Viewing Portal show that the PDP candidate, Hon. Modestus Abazie Osakwe, polled a total of 5,551 and won in six electoral wards to defeat the APC candidate who scored 4,954. You can quickly visit the iREV to confirm this.”
“It is unacceptable that INEC in Imo State has refused to announce the result and declare our and the date winner of the election. Instead, top officials of the Commission have chosen to yield to the whims and caprices of the APC regime in the State to sit on the victory of our Party in the bid to devise ways to finally upturn it.
“For instance, just last week, a fresh collation was done at the INEC Headquarters in Owerri and the officials proceeded to Isu for the declaration of the result. On their way, they got a call from Owerri to discount the process, citing orders from above. By this act, the APC-led regime in Imo is now obviously bent on setting the State on fire,” PDP said.
