Election Observers Call For Cancellation Of Imo Governorship Election

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Domestic election observers have called for the cancellation of the November 11 Imo governorship election result, citing irregularities as their reason.

The observers, operating under the auspices of the Forum of Accredited Domestic Civil Society Organisations, made the call at a news briefing in Owerri on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the observer groups included the New Dawn for Development Initiative; International Women and Youth Revival Initiative; Citizens Right for Peace and Good Leadership Initiative as well as the Centre for Child Care and Youth Development, among others.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Kenneth Umez, the Director of Operations, She 4 She Initiative for Women and Girl Child Empowerment, said the group was making the call after a constructive assessment, review and critical analysis of the election.

He further said that the observers remained committed to ensuring that election processes are improved and the sovereign rights of the people to their leaders are exercised according to established rules and basic international standards.

Umez described as “unfortunate,“ the incidents of electoral malpractices recorded across the board during the election, such as vote buying, voter intimidation, voter apathy and notable violence.

He alleged complicity of security personnel as observed and shown in several viral videos, “where they visibly compromised their duties and were seen aiding and abetting malpractices”.

He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to explain the reason for their “inability to conduct the election in nine polling units in Orsu Local Government Area (LGA) yet results emerged.

“In Orsu LGA, voters were not informed of INEC’s plan to conduct cluster elections, hence many voters were disenfranchised.

“In Okigwe LGA, we observed that no result sheets were delivered to polling centres in all the eleven wards of the LGA.

“We urge INEC and security personnel to explain where the collation for Okigwe LGA was done.

“We also witnessed that in Ehime Mbano, Ikeduru and Ideato North, among other council areas, ballot boxes were snatched and delivered to the fortresses of political party actors in the area,“ Umez also said.

He further said that ward collation was not done in the wards as promised by INEC before the election, while there was an upload of results from form EC8A to the IREV from polling units where the election did not hold.

NAN