Imo governorship election: South East CSOs accuse INEC of working for Imo Governor Uzodinma

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma

By Alphonsus Nweze, Onitsha

South East-based civil society organisations have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of working in concert with the incumbent Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, to rig and manipulate next week Governorship election in Imo State.
Speaking in a press conference, the Coordinator of the group, Nze Emeka Umeagbalasi, said it was difficult for them to be convinced that the election management body is genuinely working hard to organize credible election on November 11, 2023.
Umeagbalasi said: “INEC is planning to harvest and write results for the incumbent Governor in the state”

He recalled that the January 18, 2020, Supreme Court Verdict which installed Hope Uzodinma as Imo State Governor,, originated from harvested results from 311 polling units in the State where voting did not take place or was cancelled as a result of widespread violence and gross malpractice in the April 2019 Governorship election.

The group said their interest was borne out of the desire to restore the sanctity of Ballot Box in Imo State after the charade of January 14, 2020 Supreme Court which installed Uzodinma as Governor of Imo State.
“Imo voters must be protected and allowed to freely vote for Governorship candidate of their choice on November 11, 2023,” Umeagbalasi said.

The rights activist said apart from ensuring their security and safety, the voting environment, residences of voters,voting materials including result sheets (Form EC8As) must also be secured.

The subversive elements within the security forces including soldiers, Police squads, Ebubeagu killer militias, and all armed non-state criminal entities must be stopped from wrecking havoc during the elections”.

He said the restoration of sanctity of the ballot box in Imo State which was corrupted and bastardized by the Supreme Court judgement can bring to an end the ongoing mass murder and destruction of property that have been ravaging Imo State since January 2021.
This, he said,has led to the killing of over 2000 innocent unarmed and defenceless citizens and wantonly destroyed more than 1,600 houses.
Umeagbalasi said these killings were graphically detailed in their report of May 21, 2023 tagged “Murders and Destructions” and another report on August 28, 2023 titled “Who Is Killing Who Outside the Law in Igbo land”.