The Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have jointly called for the cancellation of the Imo State governorship election that took place on Saturday. The deputy governorship candidate of the LP, Tony Nwulu, asserted during a press conference on Saturday night that security agents allegedly provided cover for individuals who subverted the will of the people.
Nwulu declared that the LP emerged as the actual winner based on the legitimate votes cast in the election, claiming that “democracy is under threat in this state.” He alleged that there was no genuine election in Imo State on Saturday, citing the diversion of electoral materials to private residences and local government council headquarters. According to Nwulu, security forces, including the police, army, and the Department of State Services (DSS), provided security for these actions.
He further stated, “They came with huge sums of money to the polling units for vote-buying, but the Imo people rejected them. They now resorted to snatching electoral materials, diversion of the electoral materials to homes of individuals, and to the LGA headquarters where they are currently rewriting the results.”
In a separate press conference, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Samuel Anyanwu, echoed the call for the cancellation of the election. He criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agents, asserting that they failed in their constitutional responsibility to deliver credible elections to the people of the state. Anyanwu accused security agents of protecting INEC staff while members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) allegedly rewrote the results.
Both parties, the LP and the PDP, insist on nothing less than a total cancellation of the poll, citing irregularities and threats to the democratic process in Imo State.