A Civil Society Organisation, CSO, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, has raised alarm over plot by some stakeholders to compromise Imo State governorship election scheduled to hold November 2023.
The CSO which petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu therefore, sought for the immediate transfer of the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Sylvia Agu and electoral officers in the 27 local government areas, alleging that “findings indicate they are incurably incapable of ensuring participatory and credible Guber poll come November 11.”
In a letter dated 8th June, 2023 addressed to the INEC chairman and signed by the organisation’s Board Chair, Emeka Umeagbalasi and Head, Democracy Program, Chinwe Umeche Esquire, the CSO said this was due to the indictable roles played by substantive and adhoc officers during the 2023 Presidential/National/State Assembly polls in Imo State.
Listing several reasons and the electoral officers, they said their long stay in such electoral places of posting has also made them vulnerable to electoral corruption and related sharp practices, adding that the organisation is ‘certainly not sure’ that they are capable of conducting of participatory and credible governorship poll in the State on Nov 11, 2023.
The letter read in part: “This timely letter of ours is to enable the Commission enough time to expeditiously and critically respond to the subject matter and its accompanying demands. This letter had arisen from our several checks and findings including general evaluation of the 2023 Presidential/National/State Assembly polls in Imo State and various indictable roles played by substantive and adhoc officers during the polls.
“Reliable intelligence at our disposal had during indicated that several officers deployed by the Commission played different indictable roles to undermine the credibility of the polls: to the extent that the State Assembly Poll in the State was the worst of it all and a ‘walkover’ for candidates of the State ruling APC.
“There were also ‘Omuma Magic Results’ during the Presidential and National Assembly polls, vicariously or otherwise, the states’ Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Sylvia Agu did not stand tall to be respected. This was as a result of her poor handling of the polls and as a result, she cannot be trusted to deliver a Participatory and credible governorship poll in Imo State during the Nov 11, 2023 governorship poll.
“Therefore, Inter-society, having comprehensively checked and monitored the goings on in Imo State ahead of the Nov 11, 2023 Governorship Poll, has found that present REC Sylvia Agu and INEC’s 27 Local Government Electoral Officers (EOs) are grossly incapable of ensuring participatory and credible Governorship Poll in the State.
“The Commission’s ‘fact-finding’ visit to Imo State scheduled in coming days within the week must be used as good opportunity to address the wrongs under complaint and reposition the Commission in Imo State ahead of the important poll The Imo INEC departments and it’s heads requiring immediate and total overhaul by the Headquarters of the Commission the (CT and its heads, the Local Government Electoral Officers (EOs) and so on.
“The Headquarters of the Commission must also be told in dear terms that the Electoral Officers in Imo State’ 27 Local Government Areas have long overstayed their welcome: having stayed ‘longer than necessary’ or far above periods allowed by the INEC Establishment Act of 2004 or the Electoral Act of 2022 as amended.
“Her recent invitation of 2,300 soldiers for the Poll is not only widely condemned and rejected but also seen by many as ‘militarization of the poll with intent to rig back the state incumbent using the military and a clear evidence of her incapability of ensuring free, credible, popular and transparent Governorship Poll on Nov 11, 2023.
“Another issue of our deep concern is militarization and ‘privatization’ of the Result Collation Centers. Such is ako be feared ahead of the Nov 11, 2023 Governorship Pollin Imo State.
“The above is one of the problems araing from the conduct of the 2023 General Elections in the State which the Commission must not allow to rear its ugly head in the Nov 11, 2023 Governorship Poll, in the Manual for 2023 Polls issued, pursuant to Article 1.3 of the 2022 Electoral Act as amended by the Commission to its deployed senior and junior officers/staffers, “INEC Result Collation Centers must be located at INEC offices across the country or at Local Government Area Offices of the Commission/Electoral Wards.
“Contrarily, intersoclety’s findings showed that in the 2023 elections in many Local Governments Areas of Imo State particularly during the State Assembly Poll, the collation of results was done at the Local Government Chairmen’s offices where the incumbents at the State and LGAs’ levels resorted to using soldiers and other security agents as well as thugs.
“Members of political death squads and other brigands attached to such offices to prevent and deny the opposition party agents. Observers and relevant stakeholders access to monitor the result collation In line with the Electoral Act and Election Guidelines/Manuals issued for 2023 Polls The above explains why the ruling party in the State recorded a result that is unfathomable in the history of elections in imo State. by “winning” 26 of the State’s 27 House of Assembly seats.
“The Headquarters of the Commission must therefore ensure that result collation is done at the designated collation points as stipulated by the 2022 Electoral Act devoid of the State Government or interference. The Commission should, as a matter of tact, directly control the security personnel that walt man those centers in order to avert a reoccurrence of what happened during the 2023 General Elections in imo State.
“We, hereby, call for the immediate transfer of Imo INEC REC. Prof Sylvia Agu and the under-named Imo NEC’s 27 Local Government Electoral Officers (EOs); namely: Uzor Chinwendu (EO for Okigwa LGA), Ogbonne Achibe (ISU LGA) Nnebue (Eziniihite-Mbaise LGA], Nwachukwu (Onuimo LGA), Andrew Erofurukuma (Ehime Mbano), Frank Olorie (Isiala Mbano LGA), Uzoma (ihite Uboma LGA), ijeoma {Obowo LGA), George (Aboh Mbaise LGA) Uche Sunday (Ahia izu Mbaie LGA) Henry O (Ikeduru LGA), Theresa (Mbaitoli LGA), Clement Achibong (Owerri North LGA) Ikenna Joel (Owerri Municipal LGA). Emeka Okeke (Owerri West LGA), Eze Jah (Ohaji Egbema LGA), Ogbuisi Robinson (Oguta LGA) Emma Uzola (Oru West LGA) Abbadinego (Oru East) Obiora (Orsu LGA), Ijeoma Peter-Mary (Njaba LGA), Ikem Oke (Nkwerre LGA), Ethelbert (Ideato South), Chigozie (ideato North), Chukwuemeka Blessings (Orlu LGA)”.
