Anyanwu, Achonu reject Uzodinma’s victory, say irregularities marred Imo guber poll

 Samuel Anyanwu and Athan Achonu, candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) in Imo, have rejected the declaration of Hope Uzodinma, as governor-elect.

On Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Uzodinma, Imo governor, as the winner of the election that was held on Saturday.

In a joint press conference on Monday, Anyanwu and Achonu asked the electoral umpire to either review the process or cancel the election.

The LP candidate alleged that the election was militarised while voters and INEC officials were intimidated by the heavy presence of the security operatives.

“As far as I am concerned, there was no election on Saturday. What played out was a situation of military invasion where the voters and party agents belonging to the Labour Party and various others except the APC are intimidated, threatened and beaten to a stupor,” Achonu said.

“You all were witnesses to the gruesome battering of the state chairman of the Labour Party.

“It was a rude shock to me the level at which the security agents displayed and exhibited their alliance with the ruling APC.

“It was more like a military coup. The security agents have raped our democracy. I am not blaming INEC because a good number of its officials also fell victim to the situation.

“Results were written at a traditional ruler’s house in Orlu and several other places. There were several cases of ballot box snatching and gunshots in Orlu and Okigwe zones which disenfranchised so many voters yet, INEC hurriedly declared someone in an election grossly marred with irregularities. This is unacceptable by Imo people.

“It’s a big shame that INEC which earlier promised to conduct a free, fair and credible election compromised by declaring results in an election that recorded so much electoral fraud like snatching of ballot boxes, intimidation of voters by the security agents and rewriting of results to favour the APC candidate.

“For the first time in the history of Imo election, a candidate is claiming to have won 27 over 27 LGAs in Imo and the winner declared under one hour of collation. What is more laughable than this?

“The most shameful aspect is that Bayelsa with only eight LGAs took almost two days to collate results and announce the winner but Imo state has 27 LGAs but INEC declared the winner in under one hour.”

The LP candidate said Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, to “rise to the occasion and save democracy from its final collapse”.