Members of the Labour Party in Imo State staged a protest on Monday at the state secretariat office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Owerri. The protest was in response to the alleged delay in the release of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the result of the recently concluded governorship election in the state.
The LP Chairman in the state, Calistus Ihejiagwa, led the protesters and accused INEC of attempting to frustrate his party from challenging the outcome of the November poll. Displaying placards with inscriptions such as ‘INEC is supposed not to be biased’ and ‘INEC justice delayed is justice denied,’ the protesters voiced their grievances.
Ihejiagwa claimed that the result as declared by INEC did not accurately reflect what happened at the polling units. He alleged collusion between INEC, security agents, and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to compromise the election. The LP chairman asserted that his party was ready to challenge the election outcome in court but accused INEC staff of employing delay tactics to impede the party’s efforts.
In response, INEC’s Head of Voter Education and Logistics, Emmanuelle Opara, stated that the commission had acknowledged the LP’s application for the certified true copy of the governorship election results. She assured that the results were being assembled and would be made available to the party once ready, as it was their right to access it.
The protest highlights the tension and disputes surrounding the outcome of the Imo State governorship election, with the Labour Party expressing dissatisfaction and seeking legal recourse.