Imo Guber: LP’s Achonu Calls for Manual, Electronic Collation of Results

Tony Icheku in Owerri 

The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the November 11, 2023 election, Senator Athan Achonu, on Saturday declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must ensure that collation of results is done manually and electronically, pointing out that Form EC8 is a legal document needed to satisfy compliance with the electoral process 

The LP flag bearer further revealed that his campaign council is officially putting INEC on notice about plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to compromise polling officers and ad hoc staff during the election in order to influence its outcome. 

“I urge INEC and security agents to be alert and checkmate these efforts at rigging the election and ensure that sensitive materials do not get into the wrong hands,” he said during a press conference at his campaign headquarters in Owerri. 

The LP flag bearer also alleged that APC leaders are harvesting details of voter cards in some communities including Owerri West, Oguta, Okigwe, Ihitte Uboma Local Government Areas, a development he described as criminal and an attempt to subvert the will of the people.

He also urged INEC to ensure that collation of results are done at the official designated centres, not council headquarters, adding that INEC should announce a public primary school as collation centre for Isiala Mbano and every other locations where INEC offices were burnt down.

“We will use all lawful means to resist any plan to collate results in any place other than officially designated locations at the ward level and at the local government level. And we call on INEC to, as a matter of urgency, publish the polling centres where elections will not hold. This should be in the public knowledge,” he submitted

Responding to questions about elections not holding in six council areas owing to insecurity, Achonu countered that he is confident that election would hold in every part of the state. 

“We do not entertain fears that fears over security would keep people away from the polling booths. Imolites are ready to take back their state. The off season election is only holding in three states and we are confident that there will be massive deployment of security person all over the state to assure people of their safety.

“President Bola Tinubu is a democrat; he has fought for restoration of democracy in this country and we are confident he would not do anything contrary to his hard-earned reputation as a democrat,” he said