The outgoing Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps and PDP governorship candidate in Imo State in the just concluded 2015 election, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha has given reasons why he decided to go to elections petition tribunal to challenge the victory of Owelle Rochas Okorocha, who was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commissioner, INEC.
After maintaining confusing silence that sent tongues wagging that he may not contest the result, Ihedioha last weekend went to governorship election petition tribunal.
Ihedioha who had earlier expressed that people’s votes did not count, alleging conspiracy between the APC and the INEC revealed that the process that brought the winner was wrongly midwived through alleged malpractices and process not in tandem with the electoral act.
In suit number EPT/IM/GOV/3/2015 filed by Ihedioha and the PDP against Okorocha, APC and 35 other respondents, Ihedioha maintained that the election was flawed irredeemably by violence, intimidation, widespread malpractices and partisanship on the part of INEC. Ihedioha also stressed that the process was fraught with substantial non-compliances particularly the extensive infringement of paragraph 28 of the guidelines for the 2015 election by declaring results on votes obtained without accreditation or in excess of accredited voters, and the total breach of the principle of neutrality embedded in the Electoral Act as flagrantly perpetrated by INEC staff and agents. The lawmaker had earlier cited the alleged arrest of more than a dozen personnel of INEC in Imo, who he alleged conspired with the APC to manipulate and change the results of elections already declared in favour of PDP. Ihedioha, through Chief Mike Ahamba SAN, who leads seven other counsel, is praying the Court to declare him winner of the election or alternatively cancel the said election and conduct a fresh governorship poll in Imo state. Declaring that the election is invalid for reason of acts of non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act in the conduct of the election, Ihedioha prayed the tribunal to also order Governor Rochas Okorocha to return the certificate of return issued to him by INEC.
