By Angela Atabo
Coalition of Independent National Electoral Commission-accredited domestic election observers, on Tuesday, tasked the Election Petition Tribunal for Imo on fairness and justice during hearings.
The coalition’s Team Leader, Victor Kalu, stated this at a news conference on their observations on the Feb. 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Kalu said that the group noticed some irregularities in the conduct of the senatorial elections in some local government areas in Imo, stressing the need for the tribunal to be thorough in its assignment.
He said having observed the elections in Imo, the group was dissatisfied with the outcome of the national assembly elections, especially that of Imo North Senatorial District and more importantly, in Okigwe Local Government
Area.
“Imo North senatorial district comprise six local governments: Obowo, Ihitte Uboma, Ehime Mbano, Onuimo, Okigwe, and Isiala Mbano.
“As INEC-accredited foot soldiers and electoral process stakeholders, we are miffed by the results churned out by INEC, concerning winners and losers in that electoral contest.
“To the best of our knowledge and understanding, the result of Imo North senatorial district, as dished out, completely ran ultra vires, when compared with the collated results at the polling units and the collation centres.
‘Worse still, some wards and communities, numbering about seven had no elections there,” he said.
Kalu further stated that while the coalition commended INEC for considerable efforts at some other places where elections were successfully held, it, however, differed on that of Okigwe council area.
He claimed that elections did not take place in towns and communities like Okigwe, Ihube and Ezinnachi, among others.
“So, as INEC-accredited observers who were present at the polling units and collation centres, our conscience are pricked by this apparent electoral aberration, where the real winners were mysteriously replaced by runners-up along the way.
“We opine that this situation is a general phenomenon in Imo state, but the Imo North issue and particularly Okigwe, is very heartrending and capable of exacerbating an already tension-soaked zone,” he said.
Kalu said that INEC, having finished its work and announced the results, it was time for the tribunal for the national assembly elections to be guided in its assignment.
Kalu urged the tribunal to be conscientious, fair and just, and come up with clinically-processed and justifiable conclusions.
He said since the tribunals, like the regular courts, were the last hope of the helpless and the distressed, their members should be courageous to do what was right.
(NAN)
