Senator Athan Achonu, the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Imo State, has raised concerns over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allegedly obstructing his legal team’s attempts to inspect the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electoral materials related to the Imo State gubernatorial election.
Despite obtaining a court injunction, Achonu asserts that INEC is impeding their efforts to examine crucial election materials.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, Achonu expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the election that resulted in Senator Hope Uzodimma becoming the governor of Imo State. He claimed that the election was marred by various electoral malpractices, and the Labour Party is determined to present evidence of these irregularities before the Imo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
Achonu highlighted the paradox of a supposed landslide victory without visible celebrations in Imo State. He emphasized that, despite obtaining a court order allowing inspection of the BVAS, INEC is allegedly hindering the process. He questioned the motives behind INEC’s actions and expressed confusion about the situation in the country.
This accusation follows Achonu’s previous protest at the national headquarters of INEC in Abuja, where he and his supporters demanded the certified copy of the election results. The LP candidate, accompanied by National Youth Leader Kennedy Ahanotu, accused INEC of double standards in the November 11 off-cycle election, where Governor Hope Uzodimma was shockingly declared the winner.
Despite Uzodimma’s victory, both the PDP and LP candidates, including Achonu, have rejected the election outcome and initiated legal proceedings to contest what they believe was a fraudulent election exercise
IMAGE: adadareporters
