The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State has accused the Labour Party (LP) and its governorship candidate, Athan Achonu, of presenting a forged Certified True Copy (CTC) of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) BVAS document at the ongoing inspection of voting materials at the INEC office in Owerri.
An APC agents who discovered the alleged false document said the attempt by the LP to present a false document as the CTC of a BVAS was brought to light during the inspection of the CTC at the INEC headquarters, Owerri, in clear violation of the court order that granted them access to inspect the CTC.
Confirming this to newsmen at the INEC headquarters, Owerri, director general of the Imo State Data Management Centre, Terence Onyejiaku, said they were at the commission to inspect the election materials as the court ordered for the opposition parties.
“We came to observe the inspection of the election materials as the court ordered for the opposition parties that are challenging the result of the governorship election at the tribunal,” he said.
“Today we have inspected 13 local government areas out of the 27 LGAs, and INEC has shown us the entirety of the BVAs machines of the 27 LGAs, by Friday we will complete the remaining 14 LGAs.
“When we started, the Labour Party team sought to use a false document that they purported was the certified True Copy of BVAs report.
“It is alarming to see the desperate moves of LP and Senator Athan Achonu, as they attempt to deceive the people of Imo State and tarnish the integrity of the electoral process.
Imolites must condemn these actions in one voice and stand against any form of manipulation or deceit in the political landscape of the state. It is imperative that the LP adheres to the rule of law and respects the democratic process, rather than resorting to underhanded tactics to achieve their political ambitions.
“At this point, LP must understand that the state has transitioned to the governance phase, and the time for politicking and manipulation has passed.
“The people have spoken through the ballot, and the declared winner of the governorship election, Governor Hope Uzodimma, deserves to be respected and supported in his efforts to lead the state.
“LP’s attempt to undermine INEC and the legitimate winner of the election is not only unethical but also a disservice to the people of Imo State.
“Instead of engaging in a futile attempt to smear the integrity of INEC and the elected governor, LP and her candidate should desist from desperate and unlawful acts aimed at scoring cheap points and gaining popularity.
“It is evident that the people of Imo State have rejected the party and its candidate long before now, and their deceitful actions will only further alienate them from the electorate. It is time for LP to accept the will of the people and contribute positively to the development and progress of Imo State, rather than resorting to dishonest and fraudulent practices,” Onyejiaku stated.
Reacting, the LP state publicity secretary, Bright Offurum, insisted that the results his party presented were those collated at the polling unit level.
“The results we presented were the results we collated from the polling units. We are saying that let us have access to the election materials from where you said you declared the results from simple.”
