The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has charged the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to direct the immediate announcement of the already collated results of the February 23, 2019 Imo North Senatorial election as well as March 9 rerun poll, in which the PDP candidate, Mr. Ndubueze Patrick, was in clear lead.
The PDP in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, noted that the delay in announcing the result was already heightening tension in the state.
“This is more so as the results have been moved to INEC headquarters in Abuja following the harassment of INEC officials in Imo state by agents of the losing All Progressives Congress, APC, and Action Alliance, AA.
The PDP said from the collated results in the February 23 elections, the PDP won in all the Local Governments in Imo North before polls in two local governments; Isiala Mbano and Ehime Mbano were cancelled and scheduled for rerun.
READ ALSO: Guber Poll: Our Victory Will Be Sweet – Gov. Wike
The party noted that from the results already declared, the PDP led in Okigwe, Onuimo, Obowo and Ihite/Uboma Local Government Areas with 21, 254 votes ahead of APC and AA, which scored 12,756 and 12,236 votes respectively.
“At the March 9 rerun elections, when the AA and the APC realized that the PDP was winning, they resorted to mutilation and alteration of results, particularly with the collaboration of collation officers in Ehime Mbano, before the intervention of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, who called for proper scrutiny of documents following protests by the people.
“The PDP believes that the INEC had completed its investigation on the documents and results of the rerun election, which established our victory in that election.”
The party therefore urged Prof. Yakubu to douse the tension in Imo state by directing the declaration of the final results and return its candidate, Ndubueze Patrick, who had been legitimately elected by the people of Imo North to represent them at the Senate.
