By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew| Owerri
Critical stakeholders of various political parties in Imo state have staged a walk-out during the INEC’s interactive session held in Owerri, the Imo state capital, on Tuesday.
The National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had organized a compulsory stakeholder’s meeting concurrently in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states where the off-cycle governorship election will hold on the 11th of November, 2023.
The INEC Chairman, represented by the National Supervisory Commissioner, Southeast zone, Kenneth Ukeagu, had asked that candidates of various political parties, party representatives, leadership of Civil Society Groups, the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria and the Traditional Institution in Imo state, avail themselves of the opportunity to air their views and present their challenges preparatory to the Saturday governorship election in the state.
Trouble however started when the INEC representative, Kenneth Ukeagu, sought that the proceedings be observed outside the press coverage, and ordered all the media officers to stop covering and leave the hall.This order was immediately countered by the opposition members who described as part of plots to rig the Saturday election.
Impartial Observers reports that there was a one-hour moment of fighting, dis-orderliness, war of words among members of various political parties which eventually led to the PDP candidate, the LP candidate, APGA, ADP, NNPP, BOOT Party and a few others walk out in anger, leaving the ruling APC behind.
The PDP candidate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu who spoke through his running mate, Jones Onyereri, immediately after staging a walk out said that the INEC has proven in several instances that it is working for the government.
He insisted that the Imo REC be redeployed alongside some of the compromised officers of the INEC and be replaced with unbiased ones as a matter of urgency.He lamented, “you can now see that INEC is no longer hiding its affiliation with the government of Imo state. You all saw what happened. How can the INEC Chairman order the media to stop coverage of the proceedings and when we tried to counter it, some APC mad dogs pounced on us and were clapping for the Chairman.
“Whatever be their plans to rig this election, we must resist it at all costs. If they say they accepted by Imo people, they should jettison rigging and come out to field and put their popularity to test. But I can assure you, they will never have their ways this time around.”Tony Nwulu, the running mate to the Labour Party candidate, Athan Achonu, who also left in anger has this to say, “I have said it and I will say it again, we are not accepting any election conducted by the current Imo REC.
It is either that the INEC Chairman is deaf to hear the call of Imo people or compromised. If not, I don’t see why he cannot listen to the several calks and petition against the REC and do the needful.
“All other political parties involved in this election are calling for her redeployment except the APC. Does this not tell you something. Look at the way the INEC Commissioner was being appraised by the APC, showing that they are working together.The REC must go for Imo state to have a free, fair and credible governorship election. Period!
“But the the state Chairman of APC, MacDonald Ebere, in an interview, said there was no need for wrangling as the INEC Commissioner had made a simple request of asking journalists to sit and observe the proceedings rather than recording it in their cameras.
He said that the opposition was always looking out for one or the other to cause confusion because, according to him, the APC candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has already won the election given his towering popularity in the state.
Several other candidates who spoke to journalists condemned the order by the INEC Commissioner shutting journalists out from the meeting. They insisted the REC must go or other parties except APC will no longer participate in the election exercise.
