The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Imo State, Senator Athan Achonu, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is impeding the endeavors of his legal team to examine the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other election materials, despite obtaining a court injunction.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Achonu stated that the election resulting in Senator Hope Uzodimma’s emergence as Imo State governor was tainted by numerous electoral irregularities, which the party is ready to substantiate during the tribunal proceedings.
He claimed that INEC is intentionally creating hurdles for the Labour Party, aiming to obstruct their pursuit of the case before the Imo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
“What is happening now as I speak is that we went to the court, and got an order to be allowed to inspect the BVAS. This is a governor who claimed won the election by a landslide. There has been no celebration in the entire Imo State,” he said.
“Imo Sate looks like a graveyard. But (when) the judgment for Owerri municipal came out the other day (in favour of) the Labour Party candidate, Clinton Amadi, Owerri erupted into joy. The whole streets were almost closed.
“Now I begin to wonder how a governor who INEC has declared has won an election. INEC has refused to let us inspect the BVAS. As we speak, lawyers and experts we hired at a huge cost of N30 million are there. We are not been allowed to inspect them in spite of the court order. What is INEC up to? I don’t understand what is going on in my country.”
Achonu’s accusation comes one week after he led his supporters in a protest at the national headquarters of INEC in Abuja. The protest centered around INEC’s failure to provide them with the authentic certified copy of the recently concluded election results.
Accompanied by the National Youth Leader, Kennedy Ahanotu, the LP candidate accused the electoral body of exhibiting double standards during the November 11 off-cycle election, where Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress was declared the winner. Uzodimma secured 540,308 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Samuel Anyanwu, garnered 71,503 votes. Achonu came in third with 64,081 votes.
Both the PDP and LP candidates have since rejected the outcome of the election and have headed to court to claim what they insist is their mandate.