…Calls for Arrest of Culprits
The Imo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has alleged abduction of the staff of the Indepedent National Electoral Commission, violence, electoral fraud and collusion of security operatives in the Ngor Okpala State Constituency bye election held on Saturday.
Chairman, PDP, Imo State, Engr. Charles Ugwu alleged that the fraud was sponsored by the Imo State Government led by Senator Hope Uzordinma.
He called on INEC to declare the PDP Mr. Emeka Jeff Nwachukwu, the winner of the election to save democracy from being desecrated.
Ugwu also called on the relevant security agencies to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the violence and abduction of the INEC staff in the election.
He said, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Imo State wishes to alert the public to the abductions, violence, snatching of ballot boxes, shootings and widespread electoral fraud sponsored by Governor Hope Uzodinma and his cohorts during the Ngor Okpala State Constituency By-election held on Saturday, 26th February, 2022.
“In a brazen show of force, members of APC, including appointees of the Hope Uzodinma led government, APC members of the Imo State House of Assembly and House of Representatives, invaded Ngor Okpala with a combined team of the Police, Army, Navy, DSS, Uzodinmas militia group, Hopism Strike Force and over seventy buses of armed thugs to unleash terror on innocent voters in Ngor Okpala.
“In that orgy of violence, INEC staff as well as PDP members and innocent voters were kidnapped, while others were beaten to a pulp and left half-dead in their pool of blood.
“The Gestapo-like manner traversed Ngor Okpala from Umuowa, Umuneke, Imerienwe, Logara and continued to the rest of the wards, leaving in their trail, pain, anguish and destruction like an invading army. They carted away electoral materials and took them into the residences of some APC leaders and to the Santiago Hotels located near the Sam Mbakwe Airport along Owerri-Aba road where they perpetrated the electoral heist. The ballot papers were thumb-printed right in the hotel and results computed.”
He alleged further that the PDP Candidate, Mr. Emeka Jeff Nwachukwu, was placed under house arrest with armoured tanks stationed in front of his residence at Umuneke while armed thugs shot sporadically to scare away voters from exercising their franchise.
According to the Ugwu, the voters defied the brazen acts of intimidation to cast their votes only for “the invading army to return at points of collation to snatch results sheets.”
The PDP Chairman commended Professor Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner and the Commission’s staff for resisting these invaders and standing up to the truth.
He commended the REC for addressing a press conference where the issues were highlighted.
The PDP State Chairman demanded the immediate arrest of all the appointees, allies, associates and agents of APC and Gov Uzodinma who have been identified in the shameful abductions, violence and electoral fraud in Ngor Okpala.
He listed those involved in the alleged fraud to include Amara Iwuanyanwu, Deputy Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Chinasa Nwaneri, Special Adviser, Special Duties to Governor Uzodinma; Kennedy Ibeh Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Pastor Chike Okafor member, House of Representatives, Miriam Onuoha, Macdonald Ebere State Chairman of APC and Blyden Amajirionwu, one of the candidates of the APC.