•Points At Amadi, APC Agents
Four days to the re-run election scheduled to hold in 59 polling units across Mbaitoli and Ikeduru Local Government Areas of Imo State for the House of Representatives position, the Labour Party Candidate in the race, Hon. Uche Ogbuagu has raised an alarm over an alleged plot by his opponent in the APC party to rig the exercise.
He has accused Prince Charls Amadi (Chalvon) whose son, Engr. Akarachi Amadi is the candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress in the exercise of the brain behind the alleged rigging plot.
Ogbuagu made these claims during a press conference in his Akabo resident in Ikeduru LGA of the State, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had declared the MBAIKE Reps election held on February 25, 2023 inconclusive, due to some irregularities believed to had marred the process in these 59 polling units.
Trumpeta learnt that has stalled the pronouncement of winner for the election, until the supplementary is held this Saturday alongside the State Assembly election.
In the text of the press conference, Ogbuagu stated that the National Assembly election of February 25 was not a replica of what it should be in a democratic setting.
He pointed out that unlike other places and in violation of the electoral guidelines, Chalvon didn’t not only coerce the electorates to vote against their choice candidate, but also went about with more than 15 uniform men around all the polling booths.
He therefore querried the authenticity of the armed uniform men who he alleged manhandled some of the voters in connivance with suspected cultists.
Ogbuagu, who represents Ikeduru at the Imo State House of Assembly further disclosed that same person, Prince Amadi allegedly connived with the INEC staff to divert one polling unit to one of his loyalist’s house, and later to his private residence where they manipulated the results.
The documents which read in parts say;
“Inspite of the monumental electoral fraud perpetrated on that day, I was comfortably leading with over 17,000 votes, while the next person trailed behind with less than 12, 000 votes. INEC eventually declared the election inconclusive since voting did not take place in certain booths and some were cancelled because of irregularities/ violence.
“It should be noted that so far, elections have been completed and announced in over 80 % of the polling units that make up Mbaitoli and Ikeduru. One Prince Charles Amadi, whose son is the APC candidate for Mbaitoli and Ikeduru federal constituency has been using thugs, armed men in various police and military uniforms and even those in mufti, but heavily armed to coerce and intimidate my people to vote against their conscience. At some booths, some people were beaten up and assaulted in my full glare. My uncles, old women, young pregnant and nursing mothers were beaten with several bodily injuries evident.
“In his home town Eziama, this man, who prides himself as operational leader , even as he is and has never occupied any known elective or appointive position, relocated booth 020 at Owuzor Hall to the residence of his errand boy, one Mr. Chuks Metu, where voting took place without the consent and approval of INEC.(Video evidence available). He did the same thing at booth 021, Eke Amaehi, with a capacity of 1,382 votes, some of whom are fake and foreign names to Eziama people, he relocated same to his compound and perpetrated all kinds of irregularities.
“In this booth 1,382 voters were registered as copied by INEC ICT portal but for purposes of the rerun scheduled for March 11, 2023, this man and his evil cohorts, have falsified the figure to 10,382. I still doubt how a small polling unit in a remote village of Eziama Ikeduru can register even 1000 voters let alone 10, 283. In Eziama, there is a near zero presence of foreign elements, as all dwellers know each other by face and name.
“I wonder how the Police, Army, Civil Defence etc can attach over 25 men in uniform to a man, who is neither elected or appointed government functionary. Too much impunity.
“I am tempted to doubt the genuineness of those armed uniformed men because it is unthinkable that an ordinary civilian, who does not occupy any government position nor received any National Honours could be officially given such security on election day. I have earlier petitioned the Chief of Army Staff, The Inspector General of Police, The Director General Department of State Services, Assistant Inspector General of Police zone 9, Umuahia etc, which copies will be made available to the press here and now.
“As the rerun elections in my federal Constituency of Mbaitoli- Ikeduru, comes up same day with the Governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday, March 11, 2023, it therefore becomes very important to, investigate, checkmate and ascertain the genuineness of those armed men and the veracity of this posting of over 25 armed officers, to an individual and using them as personal aides on election day.
“Most importantly, to find ways of curbing their excesses to forestall mayhem and impending anarchy in my federal constituency. This is because once beaten twice shy and my people have resolved to stand their ground to ensure that such invasion that was witnessed during the February 25th election does not occur in my federal constituency anymore, especially for the House of Representatives rerun elections and the state Assembly elections slated for Saturday March 11, 2023.
“It is on the above premise that I call upon the Chief of Army Staff, Inspector General of Police, Director General Department of State Services, National Security Adviser, the Commissioner of Police Imo State, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of Zone 9 Umuahia, Imo State Director Department of State Service and all concerned security agencies to rise up to the occasion. This plea, is also contained in my petition to these security chiefs acknowledgement copy of which I will make available for your perusal/records.
“They have perfected their plans, to unleash more violence on the people of the areas, where the rerun elections for Mbaitoli- Ikeduru are to be held on that day. They have also recruited more thugs and hooligans from Benin/Warri axis and other places, to snatch and divert polling materials and or storm polling booths that very day to cart away and destroy voting materials, procured with tax payers money.
“As in Eziama, the polling booth at Atta Primary School in Atta II was criminally relocated to Hon. Anyaehie Okameme’s residence where bizarre things were per perpetrated.
People were coerced even at gunpoint to vote for APC”.
Hon Ogbuagu similarly revealed of duly petitioning the Brigade Commander 34 Field Artillery Brigade Obinze, the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Director General of DSS ahead of the Saturday’s re-run, stressing that if the activities of the aforementioned are not checkmated, there could be break down of Law and order.
