Protesters from Imo North Senatorial District and Okigwe North Federal Constituency, on Friday, blocked the Independent National Electoral Commission’s office in Owerri to demand the release of the results of elections held in the area.
The protesters accused INEC of making sinister moves to announce results that would not reflect the actual votes cast during the polls.
Speaking during the protest, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Okigwe North, Chikwem Onuoha, insisted that he won the election.
He demanded that the outcome of the election in Osu Achara and Osu Owerre wards in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area should be announced by the commission.
He said, “We will not agree; we will resist, we demand that the right thing be done.
“If INEC will accept the results in these wards for governorship and House of Assembly elections conducted on the same day and time, why won’t it accept those for the House of Representatives?”
Also, the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the South-East Zone, Chijioke Ekwegh, called on INEC to immediately announce the winner of the Imo North Senatorial District election.
Ekwegh said that results available to the PDP showed that its senatorial candidate, Patrick Ndubueze, was leading with over 12,000 votes.
However, the governorship candidate of the Reform and Advancement Party in the state, Kingdom Okere, has commended INEC and the Federal Government for being neutral during the governorship election recently held in the state.
At a press briefing in Owerri on Friday, Okere said the election, which produced Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP as winner, was credible.
He said that the Federal Government, through President Muhammadu Buhari demonstrated high level of neutrality during the governorship election in the state.
Okere said the security agencies conducted themselves in an orderly manner during the election.
According to the governorship candidate, INEC and the security agencies did not allow themselves to be used by those “who powerfully want to hold on to power.”
Okere said, “I want to salute President Muhammadu Buhari, the security agencies and INEC for allowing the votes of Imo people to count. The President has demonstrated high of neutrality.
“The outcome of Imo governorship election has shown that our democracy is growing. It has shown that popular people can win irrespective of party affiliations. The Imo governorship election is a pointer to the fact that the will of the people is the ultimate in an election.”
PUNCH
