Afrigather The Imo State chapter of the Labour Get together, LP, on Monday, staged a protest in opposition to the alleged delay by the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee, INEC, to launch the Licensed True Copies (CTCs) of paperwork of the just lately concluded Governorship ballot.
Mr Callistus Ihejiagwa, State Chairman of the social gathering, led the protest. The Chairman and social gathering supporters marched to the INEC Workplace on Port Harcourt Highway, Owerri.
Ihejiagwa stated that the social gathering had lengthy utilized for the CTCs however regretted that the electoral umpire had but to launch the paperwork 9 days after the ballot.
He, due to this fact, urged the INEC’s Nationwide Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, and INEC Federal Commissioner for the South-East, Mr Ken Ukaogu, to prevail on the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Sylvia Agu, “to launch the stated paperwork, as requested”.
“Because the collation of outcomes was about to start on the state collation centre right here in Owerri, I petitioned INEC in regards to the method of accreditation on the polling models, as reported by our brokers throughout the state.
“My petition, nevertheless, fell on deaf ears because the Returning Officer, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, stated it was not in his jurisdiction to listen to the petition and requested us to go to court docket.
“9 days on, it beats our creativeness that INEC, which collated and introduced outcomes simply 12 hours after the election, has but to launch the very paperwork – the CTCs of election paperwork – we have to pursue litigation, “Ihejiagwa stated.
Nevertheless, responding, INEC’s Head of Voter Schooling and Publicity in Imo, Mrs Emmanuella Ben-Opara, stated the paperwork had been being assembled and could be launched to the social gathering in the end.
Recall that INEC declared Hope Uzodinma because the winner of the November 11 governorship election within the state.
