PDP, LP reject Imo guber result, demand total cancellation

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) have rejected the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election in Imo State after Governor Hope Uzodimma was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.

The electoral body had announced Uzodimma’s re-election having won in all the 27 local government areas of the state with a total of 540, 008 votes to clinch a second term in office.

The State Returning Officer for the election, Prof Abayomi Fasina, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oye, Ekiti State, also announced that Sen. Samuel Anyanwu of the PDP got 71,503 votes while the Athan Achonu of the LP scored 64,081 votes.

However, both the PDP and LP have kicked against the result and have called for a total cancellation of the election, alleging that the security agents connived with INEC staff to allow members of the APC to rig the election.

Anyanwu who addressed a press conference in Owerri late on Sunday, said apart from demanding a total nullification of the election, INEC and the security agents failed in their constitutional responsibility to deliver a credible election to the people of the state as security agents were deployed to protect INEC staff while the APC members rewrote results, he alleged.

Anyanwu insisted that he and his party would not accept anything other than total cancellation of the poll.

The LP candidate Achonu, who also addressed journalists at his country home in Umulomo, Ehime Mbano local government area of the state on Sunday, said he has resolved to seek redress at the election tribunal.

Achonu alleged that the election was marred by irregularities, including vote-buying and physical assaults of LP agents, and “thus deserving of outright cancellation.”

Read also: BREAKING: Uzodimma wins all LGs in Imo guber poll

He also alleged that voting in many locations was done without the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System accreditation which was contrary to the assurances by INEC before the election.

“Our democracy was raped in the full glare of security personnel, whose salaries we pay from our commonwealth,” Achonu said.

“Collation was suddenly moved from the ward to LG centres, and only APC agents were allowed to enter, while agents of other parties were locked out.

“I have not lost hope in the judiciary; there are so many men of integrity therein, and we shall reclaim our mandate.

“Let’s save the drift into anarchy; let’s save our country and her democracy. There was no election yesterday, and we call on the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, to cancel the purported results,“ Achonu said.

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