The Local Government election that was purportedly conducted in the 27 local government councils and 305 electoral wards on Saturday, September, 21, 2024, after several controversial postponements was reportedly marred by massive rigging and voter apathy. However, despite the obvious and glaring short comings, that should, under normal circumstances warrant the outright cancellation of the polls, Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC declared all the All Progressive Congress candidates winners of the election. Hence our roving reporters who monitored the exercise, described it as a sham.
According to them, in most of the polling units they visited the electoral officers and materials were not on ground as at 5:30pm on election day, while eligible voters clustered in group waiting for the opportunity to vote for their choice candidates. While, in some other units, there were neither officials, materials nor voters. Yet the ISIEC and APC leaders and stakeholders concocted and dished out fake results”.
A member of one of the opposition political parties who commented on the development which he described as “the peak of Governor Hope Uzodinma’s unbridled excesses and irritating abuse of power, said, resident of his community trooped out in their numbers as early as 8am with the hope of voting for their choice candidates, with a view to ensuring sanity at the grassroots. But regrettably, they waited in vain as there was nobody to attend to them uptill about 6:pm when they left, only to be told that the APC candidates have been declared winners of the election that did not hold. He called on the opposition political parties to resist the imposition of candidates which is an aberration.
Also commenting on the purported election and its outcome, Imolites For Good Governance (IFFG) a civil society organization, said the “purported Imo State Local Government Election that was marred by massive irregularities confirms what we earlier said about bias of Imo State Independent Electoral Commission and why it should not be expected to conduct free, fair, and credible election.
We made it clear from the onset that the Commission aside being appendage of the Imo State government, is run by Governor Hope Uzodinma appointees who are always willing to do his bidding in order to retain their jobs.
The group’s Coordinator, Election Monitoring, Comrade Henry Uwachukwu called on the opposition political parties and the entire Imo people to reject the results of the Kangaroo election and ensure that the so-called elected local government chairman and counselors do not assume office or gain entrance into the local government secretariats because they don’t have the mandate of the people.
