Imo Reps Election: LP Candidate Petitions IG, Army Over Violence Threats

The Labour Party candidate for Ikeduru/Mbaitoli federal constituency in Imo State, Hon. Uche Ogbuagu, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali; the Chief of Army staff, Lt. Gen. Lucky Irabor, over threat of violence for the rescheduled March 11 supplementary election. 

Following the declaration of inconclusive election during the national assembly polls, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rescheduled to conclude it alongside the House of Assembly election this Saturday.

According to INEC, the election will hold in 58 polling units which involves over 25,000 registered voters. 

Ogbuagu during a press conference in Ikeduru on Tuesday, accused his All Progressives Congress (APC counterpart, Mr. Amarachi Amadi, of using security agents to scuttle the election in areas where he had strong showing. 

Further, he said the APC had inflated the voting population in Eke Amaehi Hall from 1,382 to 10,382, even as he maintained that at INEC office, the confirmed figure of 1,382 was confirmed. 

He said that his opponents have perfected another plan to use security agents to coerce voters and change the results. 

The Imo lawmaker said, “Evidences before me prove that, there were colossal attempts made by some callous people on the 25th of February, when elections were held for the President and National Assembly. Inspite of the monumental electoral fraud perpetrated on that day, I was comfortably leading with over 17,000 votes, while the next person trailed behind with less than 12, 000 votes.  INEC, eventually declared the election inconclusive since voting did not take place in certain booths and some were cancelled because of irregularities/ violence.

Ogbuagu said “In booth 021, 1,382 voters were registered as copied by  INEC ICT portal but for purposes of the rerun scheduled for March 11, 2023, Amadi and his evil cohorts, have falsified the figure  to 10,382. I still doubt how a small polling unit in a remote village of Eziama Ikeduru can register even 1000 voters let alone 10, 283. In Eziama, there is a near zero presence of foreign elements, as all dwellers know each other by face and name.

“I wonder how the Police, Army, Civil Defence etc can attach over 25 men in uniform to a man, who is neither elected or appointed government functionary. Too much impunity. 

“I am tempted to doubt the genuineness of those armed uniformed men because it is unthinkable that an ordinary civilian, who does not occupy any government position nor received any National Honours could be officially given such security on election day. I have earlier petitioned the The Chief of Army Staff, The Inspector General of Police, The Director General Department of State Services, Assistant Inspector General of Police zone 9, Umuahia etc, which copies will be made available to the press here and now.”

He called on the people to come out en masse and vote for him warning that, “Mbaitoli Ikeduru must revolt. Hence the need to inform them and I have done so.”

However the spokesperson for the APC candidate Mr. Darlington Irobi, denied all the allegations. 

He said, “There is nothing like that. If there is anybody  it’s the Labour Party that has been using thugs to scare away eligible voters.

Ogbuagu called on the security heads to call their officers to order and enjoined the people to vote for him massively.