Imo State’s Local Government elections, held on September 21, 2024, have been shrouded in controversy, with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating unprecedented electoral malpractice. According to PDP Apex leader for Oru West, Hon. Chief Joe Ikunna, not a single polling booth in the state received voting materials, as APC officials allegedly forced electoral staff to sign result sheets for elections that never took place.
Chief Ikunna lamented that APC’s actions have not only undermined the democratic process but have also caused a deep division within the 500-year-old Mgbidi clan, where ward two members allegedly blocked ward one voters, who are predominantly PDP supporters, from voting. This action, Ikunna warned, threatens to sever an ancient brotherhood unless immediate reconciliation takes place.
The PDP, despite participating in the elections, claims they were rigged beyond imagination, with APC allegedly fabricating results that falsely portrayed victories in all 27 Local Government Areas. “The magnitude of the rigging is something no one has ever witnessed, a state capture by the ruling party,” said Ikunna. He urged PDP members to stay united, promising that justice will ultimately prevail.
The party, meanwhile, is ramping up its recruitment efforts, with hundreds of new members from Oru West joining the PDP in protest against APC’s tactics. Ikunna expressed optimism that PDP will eventually triumph, as more citizens of Imo State rally against what they call the unlawful practices of Governor Hope Uzodinma’s administration.
