By Chioma Nkama
As Okigwe people await the outcome of the Okigwe Senate bye-election, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, last Saturday, said it will go to court to challenge INEC to declare it’s candidate, Attorney Charles Onyirimba, winner of the December 5th, 2020 bye- election.
This was disclosed to newsmen by the party’s State Chairman, Hon John Iwuala, at the party’s Secretariat, Egbu Road, Owerri.
Iwuala expressed disappointment on the way and manner at which INEC conducted the election and went ahead to declare APC winner of the election without minding that both candidates who contested under the platform of APC were disqualified and sacked by the court.
APGA stated that it was on record that while Ifeanyi Araraume was sacked by the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja, same was applicable to Frank Ibezim who was disqualified and sacked by the Federal High Court sitting in Owerri.
Iwuala hinted that the leadership of APGA in Imo State has agreed to challenge the result in court, thus dragging INEC, APC and PDP along.
APGA stressed that the outcome of the election has been painstakingly reviewed hence it was not “comfortable with the declaration of APC as winner of the election which was clearly and legally won by APGA. This is a slap on justice and a rape of democracy”.
The party maintained that APC and PDP are pressurizing INEC to pronounce their candidates winner of the election, accusing INEC of manipulating the election to the favor of APC against their candidate, Attorney Charles Onyirimba, who he affirmed scored the highest votes cast.
“APGA candidate was rigged out. Over 7000 votes credited to APGA was expunged at the polling booths especially at Obowo and Ehime Mbano. Therefore, INEC should declare APGA candidate winner of the Okigwe Senate bye-election if justice is anything to go by”, Iwuala maintained.
