A human rights activist in Imo State, Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha, has raised alarm over perceived plot to rig the governorship election in Imo State allegedly by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Hope Uzodinma, in collaboration with the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC in march 2019.
Citizens Samuelson in a statement on Sunday cautioned that the era of rigging elections in Imo State is over.
Samuelson remarked that Senator Hope Uzodinma is parading himself as the governorship candidate of APC in Imo State. He decried that rather than going round the state to campaign for votes from the electorates, the Senator is busy allegedly planning on how to compromise INEC to rig the forth coming governorship election in the state.
Samuelson pointed out that some of the rigging plot include, first, Uzodinma appointed Chief Cosmos Iwu, (whose wife, Mrs. Pat Iwu, is a senior staff in INEC), the Director General of his called campaign organisation.
Secondly, Mrs. Pat Iwu, (whose husband, Chief Cosmos Iwu, is the Director General of Hope Uzodinma Governorship Campaign Organization), is the Director, Training, of the INEC in Imo State.
Thirdly, Samuelson highlighted, the INEC Ad-hoc Staff who will participate in elections in Imo State will be trained by Mrs. Pat Iwu, wife of the Director General of Hope Uzodinma Governorship Campaign Organization.
Samuelson warned: “if you think you can stay in Abuja to plot and manipulate the electoral process in Imo State while Ugwumba Uche Nwosu is busy doing his campaign, moving from one electoral ward to another and telling Ndi Imo what he is coming to do, let it be made public that you will end up in shame, and your plans will never materialize.”
He maintained that “those who hope in hopelessness will soon be disgraced.”
Samuelsson further highlighted that some of the plots to rig the Imo governorship election include: Fourthly, an alleged reliable source from INEC which reportedly confirmed that Senator Hope Uzodinma has already provided and indeed submitted 6000 names of INEC ad-hoc staff for training by Mrs. Pat Iwu, Director, Training, INEC, Imo State.
He contended that the implication is that INEC has compromised its credibility, dignity and indeed integrity; arguing further that “this goes to prove the ‘I don’t care attitude” of Senator Hope Uzodinma in the campaign for the governorship race.” The activist alleged that the “Senator is reportedly relying on his rigging machinery with Mrs. Pat Iwu as his war-head and attack dog.”
“I am therefore calling on all Imo citizens, including other governorship candidates, to rise up in unison to condemn this obvious plot to subvert the collective wish of Ndimo, and ensure that the right thing is done.
“Let us all stand up and say no to this virus that is about to spread in Imo State electoral process,” Samuelson declared.