Athan Achonu, the Labour Party candidate in the Imo State governorship election, has accused security agents of allegedly aiding members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in rigging the election. He made these allegations while addressing journalists on Sunday after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Hope Uzodimma, the APC candidate, as the winner of the election.
Achonu claimed to have won the election but asserted that security agents allegedly assisted APC members in hijacking the electoral process and manipulating the results. He described the actions of security agents as “a rape on the country’s democracy” and criticized the role played by the Department of State Services (DSS), police, and military.
Expressing his intention to challenge Uzodimma’s victory in court, Achonu placed blame on the security agencies, emphasizing that the Independent National Electoral Commission was not at fault. He called for an explanation from the INEC chairman regarding the decision not to stop the collation, stating that the electoral process was compromised.
Achonu raised concerns about the use of the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), claiming that 70% of the voting occurred without proper BVAS accreditation, yet the results were announced. He urged INEC ad hoc staff with evidence of irregularities to come forward and expose them.
Furthermore, Achonu criticized the conduct of the collation process, stating that election materials were taken to the homes of commissioners, sole administrators of Local Government Areas (LGAs), and traditional rulers. He called on those with evidence of election irregularities to come forward and share their experiences, highlighting the alleged lack of transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
In his concluding remarks, Achonu expressed dismay over the handling of the ward collation process, claiming it was diverted from designated collation centers to LGA headquarters. He alleged that only APC commissioners, LGA sole administrators, and selected security personnel were allowed at these locations, excluding others and fostering an environment for manipulation.