Okorocha lied on Oguta re-run, Imo PDP alleges

OWERRI—The Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, Imo State, has expressed
dismay over the misinformation
allegedly being peddled by Imo State
governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha,
against it and the Independent
National Electoral Commission, INEC,
in the wake of the inconclusive Oguta
re-run election.
The stand of the party was made
public in a  statement by the State
Publicity Secretary, Chief Blyden
Amajirionwu.
Amajirionwu said: “We want to state
without any fear of contradiction that
contrary to the claims of Governor
Okorocha, election did not take place
in the whole of Osemoto/Enuigbo and
Egbuoma/Egwe wards, both of which
are made up of 17 polling units”.
The party said if the 17 polling units
were added to the eight where results
were outstanding, as a result of
alleged snatching of election materials
by All Progressives Grand Alliance,
APGA thugs, the falsity of Governor
Okorocha’s claim will be glaring”.
Noting that it was based on these
incontrovertible facts that INEC
declared the result inconclusive.
The party said if the governor was in
possession of any signed results, he
might have to explain how he got
them.
Imo PDP described the alleged
telephone call received by the
returning officer, which led to
declaring the poll inconclusive, as
cheap blackmail designed to browbeat
INEC into taking precipitated action.
The PDP said: “INEC, as a responsible
and reputable agency of government,
cannot afford to succumb to such
intimidation. Let Governor Okorocha
say exactly who called the returning
officer and what she was told.”
Amajirionwu also stated that from the
legitimate results available to the
party, the APGA candidate in the
election, Mr. Walter Uzonwanne, lost
in all but one of the 17 units in his
Oguta Ward B and Oguta community.
He pleaded: “PDP, as a law abiding
party, is calling on INEC to, as quickly
as possible, make arrangement for
the conduct of elections in those
areas where no elections were held.
“We also call on the peace loving
people of Oguta constituency to keep
calm and be on their guard, while we
wait for further action by INEC.”