By NewsBits
The candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the November 11, 2023, Imo State Governorship Election, Athan Achonu, on Thursday, led his supporters to protest the outcome poll at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
Achonu and his supporters stormed the headquarters of the electoral commission around 12 noon and alleged that the results announced by the commission was different from what INEC has on its server. The placard-carrying protesters therefore demanded that the electoral umpire release the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of all election documents.
Some of the visibly agitated LP supporters had placards with inscriptions such as ‘Hear the people’s voice’, ‘Give out the CTC for Imo State’, amongst others. INEC had on Monday said the party has right to request CTC of documents and “would work assiduously to issue them.”
However, days after, Achonu and his supporters accused INEC of delaying the release of the Certified True Copies of election materials. INEC had on November 12, 2023, declared Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) re-elected. According to INEC, Uzodimma polled 540,308 votes to trounce Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 71,503 votes while Achonu got 64,081 votes.
The results have since been rejected by the LP and the PDP. Both parties alleged that the exercise was marred by electoral malpractices, voters’ intimidation, and other alleged irregularities.
