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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for the Mbaitoli / Ikeduru federal constituency of Imo state Hon Uche Ogbuagu has raised the the alarm of the APC recruiting thugs to rig the re – run of the polls scheduled for Saturday ,11 March .
Hon Ogbuagu who currently represents Ikeduru state constituency and former Majority Leader of the Imo state House of Assembly said he has also petitioned the Inspector – General of Police Usman Baba Alkali, the Chief of Army Staff, Lucky Irabor , Director- General of the Department of State Services ,Assistant Inspector – General in charge of Zone 9 and even the National Security Adviser to intervene and forestall looming mayhem over the re- run
Recall the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) had declared the Poll held on 25 February inconclusive and rescheduled a re- run for 11 March in 58 polling units across the federal constituency, where elections did not hold as result of irregularities and the absence of electoral officials .
Addressing Journalists on Tuesday at his country Home in Akabo, Ikeduru council area of Imo state Hon Ogbuagu alleged that Chief Charles Amadi ( Chavon ), a chieftain of the APC in the state whose son Engr Akarachi Amadi who is a candidate in the election have recruited thugs with which to rig the supplementary polls this Saturday.
In the petition made available to Journalists at the Press conference, the LP candidate said that he was confident of victory if the supplementary election is free, fair and credible, stating that he had already garnered over 17, 000 votes from the first ballot while the APC candidate trials him on the second position with 12,000.
Said He : “Evidences before me prove that, there were colossal attempts made by some callous people on the 25th of February, when elections were held for the President and National Assembly.
In spite of the monumental electoral fraud perpetrated on that day, I was comfortably leading with over 17,000 votes, while the next person trailed behind with less than 12, 000 votes. INEC, eventually declared the election inconclusive since voting did not take place in certain booths and some were cancelled because of irregularities/ violence.
“It should be noted that so far, elections have been completed and announced in over 80 % of the polling units that make up Mbaitoli/Ikeduru federal constituency .
Adding, “One Prince Charlse Amadi ( Chavon ) whose son is the APC candidate for Mbaitoli/Ikeduru federal constituency has been using thugs, armed men in various police and military uniforms and even those in mufti, but heavily armed to coerce and intimidate my people to vote against their conscience. At some booths, some people were beaten up and assaulted in my full glare. My uncles, old women, young pregnant and nursing mothers were beaten with several bodily injuries evident.”
He further alleged that Prince Charles Amadi ,”in his home town Eziama, this man, who prides himself as operational leader , even as he is and has never occupied any known elective or appointive position, relocated booth 020 at Owuzor Hall to the residence of his errand boy, one Mr. Chuks Metu, where voting took place without the consent and approval of INEC.{Video evidence available}. He did the same thing at booth 021, Eke Amaehi, with a capacity of 1,382 votes, some of whom are fake and foreign names to Eziama people, he relocated same to his compound and perpetrated all kinds of irregularities.
“In this booth 1,382 voters were registered as copied by INEC ICT portal but for purposes of the rerun scheduled for March 11, 2023, this man and his evil cohorts, have falsified the figure to 10,382. I still doubt how a small polling unit in a remote village of Eziama Ikeduru can register even 1000 voters let alone 10, 283. In Eziama, there is a near zero presence of foreign elements, as all dwellers know each other by face and name.
“I wonder how the Police, Army, Civil Defence etc can attach over 25 men in uniform to a man, who is neither elected or appointed government functionary. Too much impunity.
“I am tempted to doubt the genuineness of those armed uniformed men because it is unthinkable that an ordinary civilian, who does not occupy any government position nor received any National Honours could be officially given such security on election day. I have earlier petitioned the The Chief of Army Staff, The Inspector General of Police, The Director General Department of State Services, Assistant Inspector General of Police zone 9, Umuahia etc, which copies will be made available to the press here and now.” Ogbuagu said.
However, in a swift reaction , Mr Darlington Irobi , Media Adviser Engr Akarachi Amadi candidate of the APC who debunked the allegations by the LP candidate said that Engr Akarachi Amadi does not need to recruit thugs for the purposes of winning the supplementary election .
Irobi noted that it was the LP candidate that did not want a re- run polls in many of the polling units where elections could not hold . He also said that Engr Akarachi Amadi who is into Oil and Gas sector is entitled to use police security which is officially assigned to him, and that the candidate of the APC who is popular across the federal constituency because of his philanthropic works through the Akarachi foundation does not need thugs to win the votes of the people.
