27 Candidates of the Labour Party in the forth coming House of Assembly election have accused the All Progressives Congress of attempting to rig the election in Imo State.
The Candidates made the accusation in a statement signed by Nnaemeka Obiaraeri (Okigwe LGA), Kingsley Onwubuike (Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA), Precious Nwadike (Orlu LGA), and 24 other LP Candidates.
The candidates in the statement in Owerri on Wednesday accused APC was using young people to manipulate the Biometric Voter Accreditation System and write results for their candidates.
They urged Independent National Electoral Commission’s national chairman, Mahmood Yakubu to call the staff in the state to order and ensure that credible elections are held.
They also urged leaders of the security services to give their employees orders to remain impartial before, during, and after election
The LP candidates stressed that the results that INEC would declare should be subject to the people’s will.
“Strong intelligence report has uncovered the purported plans/plot being hatched by the Imo state administration and the APC leadership to rig the upcoming State Constituency elections in Imo state.
“The plan is to bribe/grossly compromise the Imo INEC REC, the EOs, SPOs, and Security Agents in all 305 wards of the state of Imo to avoid using BVAs on February 25, 2023, write the results of most of the Imo LGAs in the Government House Owerri, declare the results, and dare the opposition candidates to file a lawsuit.
“If permitted to proceed, such ‘Escobar-like criminal electoral roguery’ will make a complete mockery of President Mohammed Buhari’s stated desire to leave a legacy of free and fair elections in Nigeria.
“We also insist that, in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Provisions of the 2022 New Electoral act, elections must be conducted at the whole designated poll units in Imo state on March 11, 2023.
“We also insist that the INEC officials designated for all the poll units in Imo state must be at their duty posts on or before 9 am on March 11, 2023. The BVAs must be used to accredit all eligible voters, voters must be allowed to cast their votes and the result must be uploaded and transmitted via the BVAs at each poll unit without any hindrances,” the statement said.
However, Cajetan Duke, the state APC spokesperson, asserted that the allegations made by the LP candidates were untrue.
