Following the directive by the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Commander-in-chief, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to Security Agencies to unravel the alleged violence that marred the Oguta Constituency re-run election, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Imo State, Prof Selina Oko and her top lieutenants are said to be facing investigation by Security Agencies.
There were legions of claims and counter claims by the two gladiators in the election; namely The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
While Gov Okorocha points accusing fingers, saying that INEC stopped announcing the APGA candidate, Hon Uzonwanne as winner after calls from “Above”, the PDP are saying that Okorocha instigated violence to stop their candidate, Hon Dibiagwu from cruising to victory.
Therefore, following the bad image the said election will attract to Nigeria’s democracy, and free and fair election, security operatives were directed to step in.
Based on the directive of the presidency, security agencies comprising operatives of the Nigeria Police and State Security Services, SSS, as well as the anti-graft bodies have moved in to probe the circumstances surrounding the ill fated election.
Facing security agencies search light is the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Imo state, Prof Oko, and some of her Chieftains who were incharge during the election. Dependable sources at INEC, Owerri, told Trumpeta that security agencies have demanded for available documents including result sheets to verify what went wrong. The allegation of bribe offering and taking on the part of some suspected INEC and adhoc staffers would also be verified as well as the alleged falsification of Osemeto/Onuegbo and Egwuoma/Egwe wards results which PDP rejected.
Other verifications on the tab of the probing team are the widespread violence where guns and dangerous weapons were massively and freely used as police have in its kitty not less than 118 people for alleged involvement in the violence.
Meanwhile, fear has gripped some of the suspected perpetrators of the alleged electoral malpractices both within and outside Oguta LGA as security men have been combing the locality to fish out more collaborators who were implicated by statements of apprehended persons.
Reports filtered in yesterday that based on statements from suspected political thugs in police net, more people were apprehended in Oguta for alleged involvement.
Meanwhile of the 118 persons languishing in police cell, Trumpeta learnt that they have been dragged to a High Court at Oguta for arraignment after police investigation. Police investigation revealed that of the number about 68 persons were from Ideato South where a party Chieftain reportedly conscripted them to Oguta for the election
The PDP Candidate in the Oguta House of Assembly re-run, Honourable Eugene Dibiagwu has accused the All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA of being responsible for the stalemate in the election.
In an address to the people of Oguta State Constituency, Dibiagwu disclosed, “INEC has declared the election inconclusive because of the massive irregularity perpetrated by some APGA apologists especially the government appointees both within and outside Oguta LGA. Government appointees from Oguta LGA wrote results in their respective wards but unfortunately, most of the results were so fraudulent that INEC had to cancel them resulting in the declaration of the results as inconclusive”, he said.
To demonstrate how unpopular my opponent is, “I even won him hands down in his own booth and ward. It is also instructive to note here that I actually contested the election with the Governor not even my obviously unpopular opponent as the Governor went about campaigning and telling Oguta LGA voters that they should vote for him; that a vote for him is a vote for his opponent and his APGA party”, Dibiagwu said.
President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission and relevant security agencies to ensure the arrest of all those found culpable in the violence and electoral malpractices that characterised last Saturday’s rerun into the Imo State House of Assembly in Oguta.
Jonathan gave the directive while receiving some members of the Nigerian Senators’ Forum, led by Senator Khairat Gwadabe, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The President said, “Those who made it impossible for the rerun election in Oguta to be conclusive must be brought to book. We must make it clear that impunity in the perpetration of violence and irregularities during elections will no longer be tolerated. Sanctions, promptly imposed on guilty persons will deter others from engaging in such acts in the future.”
Jonathan said the actions of those who disrupted the election were contrary to the principle of one man, one vote that his administration was striving to enshrine in Nigeria.
He said apart from apprehending the culprits, security agencies must also ensure that they were brought to justice.
It will be recalled that 118 persons have since been arrested for various offences during the re-run poll in Oguta. The Imo state Police Command has assured that any person indicted after investigations would be promptly charged to court to face the full weight of the law.
