Tunji Adedeji
Rt. Hon. Jones Onyeriri, the Imo West Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Rochas Okorocha of forcing the senatorial returning officer for Orlu zone senatorial election Prof Innocent Ibeawuchi to declare fake result in favour of himself in the just concluded elections held last Saturday.
Briefing newsmen at the party Secretariat in Owerri, Hon Jones who was visibly angry said, “I’m here to alert the whole world, about what’s happening in Imo West Senatorial district. Just about few minutes ago, Governor Okorocha in company with security agencies invaded the senatorial collection center in Orlu and held the returning officer Professor I.I. Ibeawuchi hostage, threatening his life to declare an illegal results”.
The Federal lawmaker who said he remained the most popular candidate in the contest said ” I Found it very unholy because as at 1:30am yesterday (Sunday), after the collation Officer has carefully accessed all the results that were given to him, he disclosed that he’ll not continue with the announcement of the results and that the election is cancelled and that he would proceed back to Owerri after the Resident Electoral Commissioner approved of it”.
Hon Jones said he is saddened that after the directives of the Imo REC for Professor Francis Ezeonu to come over to Owerri, nothing happened rather the E.O. was held hostage by APC agents from yesterday (Sunday), (02-25-19) till dawn.
He added “They forced him to go ahead to announce the result”
Meanwhile Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha was finally declared Senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial zone by Prof .Ibeawuchi who insisted that he was under duress.
The Collation Officer, Professor Ibeawuchi Francis, announced Okorocha winner, after he polled a total of 97,762 votes to defeat his closest rival, Jones Onyereri of the PDP who scored 63,117 votes.
Before reeling out figures at the district collation centre in the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) Office in Orlu, Mr Ibeawuchi, a professor, said he was being held “under duress” to announce the results.
“My name is Ibeawuchi Izuchukwu Innocent, a professor at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), the returning officer for Imo West (Orlu) senatorial zone”, the official said.
“My area commander; my P.Os; the party agents here present; members of the press; ladies and gentlemen.
“I have been held hostage here for days so I’m trying to ease off and take my life home back to my children and for the sake of that I am calling these results under duress,” the Returning Officer said.
