The Labour Party in Imo State has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Buba Alkali, the Chief Of Army Staff, Lucky Irabor, the National Security Adviser, the Director of the Department of Security Services and Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of zone 9 in Umuahia, over the supplementary election for Ikeduru/ Mbaitoli federal constituency holding this Saturday.
At a Press conference on Tuesday, the LP candidate, Uche Ogbuagu, said that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Akarachi Amadi, his father and members of his campaign organisation were allegedly intimidating his supporters.
Ogbuagu who currently represents Ikeduru Local Government Area at the state house of Assembly, claimed that the APC candidate had intimidated voters during the first ballot on February 25 and had concluded plans to rig the supplementary election on March 11.
Displaying copies of the petitions, the LP candidate said that he was confident of victory if the supplementary election is free, fair and credible.
The LP candidate has 17, 000 votes from the first ballot while the APC candidate trials him on the second position with 12,000.
He said “my Evidences before me prove that, there were colossal attempts made by some callous people on the 25th of February, when elections were held for the President and National Assembly.
Inspite of the monumental electoral fraud perpetrated on that day, I was comfortably leading with over 17,000 votes, while the next person trailed behind with less than 12, 000 votes. INEC, eventually declared the election inconclusive since voting did not take place in certain booths and some were cancelled because of irregularities/ violence.
“It should be noted that so far, elections have been completed and announced in over 80 % of the polling units that make up Mbaitoli and Ikeduru. One Prince Charlse Amadi, whose son is the APC candidate for Mbaitoli and Ikeduru federal constituency has been using thugs, armed men in various police and military uniforms and even those in mufti, but heavily armed to coerce and intimidate my people to vote against their conscience. At some booths, some people were beaten up and assaulted in my full glare. My uncles, old women, young pregnant and nursing mothers were beaten with several bodily injuries evident.
‘in his home town Eziama, this man, who prides himself as operational leader , even as he is and has never occupied any known elective or appointive position, relocated booth 020 at Owuzor Hall to the residence of his errand boy, one Mr. Chuks Metu, where voting took place without the consent and approval of INEC.{Video evidence available}. He did the same thing at booth 021, Eke Amaehi, with a capacity of 1,382 votes, some of whom are fake and foreign names to Eziama people, he relocated same to his compound and perpetrated all kinds of irregularities.
“In this booth 1,382 voters were registered as copied by INEC ICT portal but for purposes of the rerun scheduled for March 11, 2023, this man and his evil cohorts, have falsified the figure to 10,382. I still doubt how a small polling unit in a remote village of Eziama Ikeduru can register even 1000 voters let alone 10, 283. In Eziama, there is a near zero presence of foreign elements, as all dwellers know each other by face and name.
“I wonder how the Police, Army, Civil Defence etc can attach over 25 men in uniform to a man, who is neither elected or appointed government functionary. Too much impunity.
“I am tempted to doubt the genuineness of those armed uniformed men because it is unthinkable that an ordinary civilian, who does not occupy any government position nor received any National Honours could be officially given such security on election day. I have earlier petitioned the The Chief of Army Staff, The Inspector General of Police, The Director General Department of State Services, Assistant Inspector General of Police zone 9, Umuahia etc, which copies will be made available to the press here and now.
“With over 64 verifiable people oriented projects done with only my salary and sitting allowances, the sky will be our starting point, when I get the green chambers of the National Assembly. My loud and strong voice has given Ikeduru eloquence and prominence in the Imo Comity of Local Government Areas. This is evident in the choice of several people oriented bills and motions credited to my humble self.
“Some of these transformational bills and motions, include but not limited to A bill which repelled pensions and gratuities to former Governors and their Deputies, former Speakers and their deputies, a bill for a law to amend the Imo State Environmental Transformation Law, NO. 3 of 2008, a bill for a law to review the 2020 Imo State
Polytechnic Law no 15 0f 2012 and a bill for a law to establish Imo State Waste Management Agency and many more.
” I want to use this medium to thank all my brothers and sisters of Mbaitoli and Ikeduru extraction for the love, trust and confidence they have reposed in me, by voting overwhelmingly for me and labour party on Saturday February 25, 2023. I want them to remain resolute and steadfast, also continue to believe in me because, the best is yet to come.
“Your vote for labour party again on Saturday March 11, 2023 will serve as a confirmation and eloquent testimony of the landslide victory of labour party at the Presidential and National Assembly elections.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the APC candidate, Darlington Irobi, said that the LP candidate was afraid of the supplementary election.
He said that if there was any form of electoral malpractice on February 25, it was perpetrated by the LP candidate and supporters.
