Sen. Athan Achonu, the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the Imo governorship election held on Saturday, has called for the annulment of results from polling units where he received reports of disturbing incidents such as the hijacking of ballot boxes, electoral materials, and vote-buying.
Achonu, who spoke to journalists in his hometown, Umulumo, in Ehime Mbano council area of Imo, on Saturday, disclosed that his party had sent a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) detailing the reported malpractices and requesting appropriate action. He urged the cancellation of results from the affected locations to prevent the uploading of fake results.
According to Achonu, certain areas in Ideato witnessed ballot box snatching, various irregularities, and voter intimidation during the electoral process, which he deemed unacceptable. He stressed the need for INEC to take necessary measures to ensure the integrity of the election results.
While acknowledging the military’s commendable intervention in some areas, he expressed concern about the absence of security personnel in specific locations around Orlu and Orsu.
In response, INEC’s Head of Voter Education, Mrs. Emmanuella Opara, stated that the Commission had not yet received an official report on the alleged irregularities.
(NAN)