The Imo State chapter of the Labor Party on Monday protested against the alleged delay by the Independent National Electoral Commission in releasing certified true copies of the November 11 governorship poll.
The state chairman of the party, Callistus Ihejiagwa, led a protest by party supporters to the INEC office on Port Harcourt Road, Owerri.
Ihejiagwa said the party had been bidding for the CTC for a long time, noting that nine days after the vote, INEC was yet to release the documents.
Therefore, he insisted that the National Chairman of the Commission, prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and INEC Federal Commissioner for the South East, Ken Ukaogu, urge the state Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Sylvia Agu, “to provide documents as requested.”
He stated: “Since collation of results was about to commence at the state collation center in Owerri, I approached INEC on the modalities of accreditation at polling stations as reported by our agents across the state.
“However, my petition fell on deaf ears as the Returning Officer, Professor Abayomi Fasina, stated that it was not his jurisdiction to hear the petition and asked us to approach the court.
“Nine days later, it is difficult for us to imagine that INEC, which collected and announced the results just 12 hours after the elections, has not yet published the documents – the CTC codes of the electoral documents – we have to initiate legal proceedings.”
In response, Emmanuella Ben-Opara, INEC Director, Voter Education and Publicity in Imo State, stated that the documents were in the process of being collected and would be forwarded to the party in due course.
“We have received the application for CTC, we have confirmed it, and the application is being considered while the materials are being collected. When this happens and after payment of the costs, we will provide the documents. Please maintain civility,” said Ms. Ben-Opara.
(IN)
