Press Release:
Our notice has been drawn to mischievous plans by Imo State INEC under Prof Sylvia Agu to deny our legal team access to certified true copies of documents used for the November 11 governorship election imo state as required by law. This is after an official request has been made by our solicitors to the State INEC Office duly acknowledged and received on November 15, 2023.
It is pertinent at this stage to alert the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies of this devious delay tactics which may be to further deny our party and the candidate of labour party in the November 11 election justice. This is unacceptable and we request that INEC do the needful immediately as time is of essence.
Some pertinent questions begging for answers include: If INEC does not have anything to hide, and willing to come to equity with clean hands, why then are they delaying the release of the CTC of requested materials? INEC was as so efficient to announce the results of 27 LGA in less that 12 hours after the elections, why then is it taking same INEC over 144 hrs to issue the documents backing their pronouncements? One would expect a better and efficient approach from the electoral body.
We only hope that this delay is not a decoy by Imo State INEC and agents of the APC led government to perfect their rigging by tampering with sensitive materials in INEC office. This strategy to deny the people of Imo State the opportunity to have a leader of their choice will not work as we call on INEC to do the needful and stop taking Imolites for granted.
Therefore, we also call on the Security agencies and the INEC led by Prof Mamoud to do all they can to ensure that the certified true copies are released as requested and timely too.
While we wait for INEC to speedily do the needful, we further assure the caretaker governor in Imo state to enjoy his “Certificate of Return” only for a moment as he will soon return it to the rightful owner. Igbo adage says “Onye Ji ihe nwata welie aka elu, obere oge, oga ewetu ya” ( he who takes from a child and raises his hand up away from the child will soon get tired and release it.). Labour party and Senator Athan Achonu, the governoship candidate will stop at nothing to ensure this mandate is retrieved from the usurpers.
Chibuikem Diala
Director, Media & Publicity
Senator Athan Achonu Campaign Organisation