The Orlu Zone Youth wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Hon Jones Onyeriri, the PDP candidate for Imo West winner of the February 23rd election.
The group which spoke through their zonal Chairman, Hon Anozie Udenwa in their Orlu office, yesterday maintained that the election was clearly won by Hon Jones Onyeriri, contrary to governor Rochas Okorocha’s claim that he defeated the Nkwerre Born legislator.
The youths advised INEC to do the needful instead of deliberating on whether to issue Okorocha a Certificate of Return or not. Udenwa spoke of the grave consequences of rewarding an electoral offender with such an honour, stating that issuance of certificate of return to Governor Rochas Okorocha will be setting a bad precedence which will further destroy the Nation’s electoral system.
He said, “If governor Okorocha gets Certificate of Return inspite of the glaring evidence that he did not only rig the election, but forced the Returning Officer Prof Innocent Ibeawuchi, to declare him winner at gunpoint as alleged by the professor, what that means is, in the nearest future, those who lose election will resort to crude measure of declaring themselves winner and like we all know, no one has monopoly of violence”, he stated.
Continuing, the youth leader averred that the inability of INEC to declare Onyeriri winner is depriving the zone the needed strong voice it needs in Abuja, stating that it is unacceptable to Orlu electorate that after massively voting their choice, one man who doesn’t believe in due process will thwart the will of the people.
Udenwa reiterated that the best option for INEC is to declare the original winner of the senator-elect election considering the fact that the results collated at the polling units already showed Onyeriri to have won the election.
LGA youth leaders present at the meeting include; Ben Marcus ohaji/egbema LGA youth leader; Obinna Onyeba, Oru east LGA youth leader; Emmanuel Okorie,Oguta LGA youth leader; Moses Chinyeaka, Njaba LGA youth leader;Augustine divine ogbonna,Oru west LGA youth leader; Bethel Uzoho nkwerre LGA youth leader.
Others are;Ikechukwu Anyikwa, Orsu LGA youth leader; Chidiuto Okorie Orlu LGA youth leader; Nwadike Amarachi orient,Nwangele LGA youth leader; Henry Okala, Ideato South LGA youth leader; Richard Ideato North LGA youth leader; Orisakwe Ifeanyi , Isu LGA youth leader.
