Labour Party Governorship candidate, Senator Athan Achonu met with indigenes and professionals of Imo State extraction, residing in Lagos on Sunday, 2nd July, 2023, as part of his contact and consultations agenda, ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Imo State.
Senator Achonu, who lamented the sorry situation of Imo state in virtually all spheres and sectors, under the present APC and Governor Hope Uzodimma administration, particularly decried the dangerously high level of insecurity that has overtaken the state, adding that the Labour party will not allow political thugs to steal votes or disrupt the election in the state.
The Imo Labour party candidate also expressed confidence that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will ensure that the election is free and fair, despite the electoral body’s alleged intimidation by thugs and some police officers during the recent general elections.
“From what happened in the last state elections held in Imo State, it’s obvious. I don’t want to pre-empt the court because it’s sub judice, but I think I have some level of confidence in INEC because thugs were used to prevent them from carrying out their legitimate job during the last election.
“They used thugs; they used the police to suppress INEC. Nobody will be faced with that type of thuggery that went on and will not protect himself and his life. The police are Nigerians, the military are Nigerians; they have children also. So, I have a level of confidence in INEC and I believe that we are going to be able to protect our votes.
“Nobody can tamper with our votes and nobody can move collation from a legitimate place to another place in this coming November election. It will never be allowed,” he said.
A visibly elated Senator Achonu, who was quite pleased by the impressive array of distinguished imo sons and daughters who turned out to host him for the meet and greet, even at such short notice, captured the very convival meeting on his verified social media handles thus:
In what was originally planned to be a ‘Meet & Greet’ with a select group of Imo professionals and think tanks resident in Lagos, the occasion, which I was hosted, turned out to be not just for Imo State indigenes, but included other professionals and think tanks from the SouthEast geopolical extraction.
The event was also graced by my brother and friend, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy and the elegant legendry songstress, Onyeka Onwenu who raved up the event with a special rendition in support of my campaign.
At the event, the driving force behind the ‘Aku Ruo Ulo’ initiative and my passionate drive for a full autonomy of our local government administration was well received.
As rightly stated by some of our eminent brothers who were present at the event, especially from Anambra State, Imo State is strategic to the entire SouthEast region, and the call to #TakeBackImo is a collective call to action for the sake of our peace of mind, security, strategic regional alliance, and even development.
Another issue of great concern to the group, which was raised, bordered on the alleged one million dollar propaganda, which I squarely laid to rest as a hoax.
Finally, I seized the opportunity to charge all Imolites to own this campaign and to see this election as an existential election to rescue Imo State from her present socioeconomic and political quagmire.
