Accord Party insists Imo local council election illegal

The Imo State Chapter of Accord Party yesterday insisted that the election conducted by the former governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha, was a sham, illegal, undemocratic and not in accordance with the state Electoral Act of 2010 as amended.

In a statement by the party’s state Chairman, ThankGod Ibe, the party also said that the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), which “purportedly” conducted the election, was not properly constituted according to law.

The statement reads in part: “We wish to reiterate that the Accord Party filed a case with suit No. HOW/613/2019 against the then government headed by Rochas Okorocha.

“We challenge the constitutionality and validity of the local council elections which the administration of Rochas Okorocha purportedly conducted on August 25, 2018.

“The Accord Party wishes to reiterate its resolve to conclusively pursue her case still pending in the court, hence no local government election would be said to have been conducted by the then government under Rochas under the law of Imo State.”

And on the recent invasion of the council headquarters by the suspended council executives, Ibe said: “Accord Party supports every step being taken by the state government and the security agencies to apprehend those who perpetrated the criminal actions of January 6, 2020 and bring them to account under the criminal laws of the state.”

Meanwhile, fear and anxiety have griped political parties and their members in Imo State following the anticipated Supreme Court judgment on the governorship election of the state.

The Guardian gathered that the Supreme Court in Abuja would today (Monday) expectedly give judgment on the various petitions brought before it concerning the Imo gubernatorial election.

The anxiety is heightened by the recent prophecy of a Catholic priest and Administrator of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka.

Mbaka had predicted that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hope Uzodinma, would unseat the incumbent People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Ihedioha, from the court verdict.

A statement by the state spokesperson of the APC, Jones Onwuasoanya, said that the party is hopeful of a favourable outcome and enjoined the members to join hands in the efforts to rebuild the party.

But Imo PDP Chairman, Charles Ezekwem and the Publicity Secretary, Damian Opara, urged the members not to lose sleep over the eventual outcome of the apex court judgment, stressing that the verdict would not be different from that of the tribunal and Appeal Court, which had respectively upheld the victory of Ihedioha at the poll.