–Wants him declared winner without further delay
The Imo State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party,PDP has called on the Independent National Electoral commission,INEC to as a matter of urgency issue certificate of return,CoR to its candidate in Isu Local Government Area of Imo State,Hon. Modestus Abazie Osakwe.
The party’s Publicity Secretary,Collins Opurozor stated this during a press conference in Owerri,yesterday.
The party maintained that going by the results from the 122 out of 123 polling units in Isu LGA ,Osakwe won overwhelmingly and sees no reason why INEC should further delay in declaring him winner and issuing him Certificate of Return.
It further stated that it is only fair that INEC declares Osakwe winner of the election.
The release reads,”During our last interaction with you, we had highlighted the many electoral malpractices which marred the March 18th House of Assembly elections in Imo State. We had also, in all specificity, exposed the roles of some top INEC officials, security agencies and the amorphous Ebubeagu Militia in aiding and abetting this mind-boggling crime perpetrated by the APC in Imo against the Nigerian State.
“What we have found further disturbing is that those same actors in the electoral fraud have remained unrepentant, unfazed and determined to truncate democracy and plunge Imo State into anarchy.
“To be clear, the situation with the withheld Isu State Constituency election result, which was incontrovertibly won by PDP, explains the embarrassing collusion of INEC in the tragedy that has befallen democracy in Imo State.
“Nigerians should note that of the 123 polling units in Isu LGA, 122 results have been successfully uploaded on the iREV, representing 99.19% of the total results. The only result which was not transmitted came from Ekwe Ward 1, Booth 16, where APC thugs had made away with the BVAS. Nevertheless, the result has been ready with us and available at the INEC office, Owerri.
“In four other polling units where elections were disrupted by thugs because of the imminent loss of APC, the INEC Forms EC 40 G were duly signed by the POs, SPOs and the EO. In keeping with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the INEC Guidelines, the possibility of a rerun in those areas has been effectively foreclosed. This position has also been publicly affirmed by INEC.
“Gentlemen of the Press, the total results from the eleven electoral wards in Isu LGA as now fully published on the INEC Result Viewing Portal show that the PDP candidate, Hon. Modestus Abazie Osakwe, polled a total of 5,551 and won in six electoral wards to defeat the APC candidate who scored 4,954. You can quickly visit the iREV to confirm this.
“It becomes totally unacceptable that INEC in Imo State has refused to announce the result and declare our candidate winner of the election. Instead, top officials of the Commission have chosen to yield to the whims and caprices of the APC regime in the State to sit on the victory of our Party in the bid to devise ways to finally upturn it.
“For instance, just last week, a fresh collation was done at the INEC Headquarters in Owerri and the officials proceeded to Isu for the declaration of the result. On their way, they got a call from Owerri to discontinue with the process, citing orders from above. By this act, the APC-led regime in Imo is now obviously bent on setting the State on fire!
“It is also necessary to inform Nigerians that both the INEC Returning Officer and some other officials involved in the Isu State Constituency election have severally been invited, harassed and intimidated by the police with a view to making them upturn the result in favour of the failed APC. This is how regrettably partisan the police has become.
“Our Party, therefore, calls on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to order the immediate declaration of the result for Isu State Constituency election in Imo State which was won by the PDP.
“Also, the Commission should launch painstaking investigation into the activities of its personnel in Imo and their roles in the widespread electoral fraud that defiled the 2023 elections at all levels in the State.
“Finally, Imo PDP reiterates its call on the Inspector General of Police to beam his searchlight on the Imo State Police Command to weed out the corrupt elements who have become willing tools for the enforcement of electoral crimes and implementation of sundry other dictatorial and fascist political agenda of the Senator Hope Uzodinma-led APC regime in the State”.
