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INEC Planning To Alter Imo National Assembly Result, Claims APC

“The drama that characterised the March 9th National Assembly rerun in Imo North senatorial district seems to be evolving rather than abating, as collated results from the elections and announced at the various Local Government Areas have remained unannounced at the federal constituency level and winners not declared."

The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged a plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to change the result of the rerun election of Imo North senatorial district.

The election was declared inconclusive after cases of malpractices and rigging were recorded.

A new date was fixed by the commission and the rerun was done on March 9, 2019 at the six Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the senatorial district.

However, reactions have continued to trail the rerun with the APC alleging a plot by the electoral commission to change the results to favour the opposition party.

Francis Udoka, one of the party supporters, faulted the commission for not announcing the winner of the election, five days after the polls, stating that “INEC is obviously acting a written script.”

He said: “The drama that characterised the March 9th National Assembly rerun in Imo North senatorial district seems to be evolving rather than abating, as collated results from the elections and announced at the various Local Government Areas have remained unannounced at the federal constituency level and winners not declared.

“In what seemed like an attempt to provoke the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Honourable Chike Okafor, the INEC Returning Officer for Okigwe South, Professor Duruigbo, who obviously acting a written script, probably expecting to be resisted, so as to claim that they were compelled to announce the result under duress, informed the LGA party agents that they had to relocate to Owerri, the Imo State capital, before they announce the results.”

Francis stated that there was no security threat in the senatorial district that would have warranted moving to Owerri, adding that since the results were moved to Owerri, it had not been announced.

“We are surprised at the collation and wanted to know why the sudden need to go to Owerri for a House of Reps election in Okigwe South, when there was no security threat to the announcement. But the Returning Officer gave no reason and the party agents obliged him, and followed up to Owerri, where they had since mounted siege at the INEC office waiting for the third day for INEC to declare the winners,” he added.

Calls to Mrs. Emmanuella Opara, INEC Public Relations Officer in Imo, were unsuccessful and she is yet to reply messages sent to her.