Stakeholders in the Imo State chapter of Labour Party (LP) under the aegis of Labour Party Stakeholders Forum have raised the alarm over alleged celebration by the State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), for purportedly securing support from the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Appeal Court on all House of Representatives election cases before the appellate court.
The LP stakeholders in a press statement signed by Barr. Kenneth Uzor alleged that APC in the state was plotting to pressure Appeal Court to uphold their plan of hijacking all National Assembly seats from the rightful winners.
They advised the NJC secretary, Ahmed Gambo Saleh, Esq to protect the sanctity of the judiciary and the faith the citizens still have in it by distancing himself from Governor Hope Uzodimma.
The LP stakeholders said they were alerted to the boasting by APC chieftains close to Uzodimma who were celebrating over the weekend over the news of their principal’s alleged meeting and visit to the secretary of NJC in Abuja and that all was being done to pressure the Appeal Court to uphold all the judgements delivered against opposition parties by the Imo Tribunal.
They called for investigation of the source of the information which APC members in Imo were celebrating that they had sorted their case and justice will be denied the LP and PDP members and even the little ones they won will also be taken away.
They expressed confidence in the president of the Appeal Court and Secretary of NJC to ensure that the public fear and anxiety over the plot to rig appeal cases were neutralised by ensuring that incorruptible judges are selected to hear the cases.
The statement reads, “Okigwe federal constituency and Mbaitolu federal constituency won by Chikwem Onuoha and Uche Ogbuagu was the most painful for us as they were shocked while waiting for their declaration to see fake figures without accreditation added to declare APC winners. In okigwe which is facing serious security crisis not up to 3,000 people voted and accredited with Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS, but APC manufactured over 30,000 votes to claim a victory they didn’t win.
“We are deeply concerned and worried about reports that supporters of uzodinma were at the weekend boasting that arrangements have been concluded to pressure the Appeal court president to allow the affirmation of the controversial judgments which stole the victory of the LP and other parties at the just concluded national assembly election during which LP won MBAITOLU Ikeduru federal constituency with Uche Ogbuagu, Okigwe/Mbano federal constituency Chikwem Onuoha, Orlu federal constituency Geff Ojinika, Ohaji oru west federal constituency Kingsley Uju of PDP but they were robbed of victory at the election and the state election tribunal used controversial rulings to deny them justice.
“Same injustice was done to members of the Peoples Democratic Party, in Ehime/ihitte uboma/ mbano/obowo federal constituency and Ideato North and South Federal Constituency where Hon. Jonas okeke and Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere won landslide in the two federal constituency but their victory was voided on statute barred grounds of decided issues of pre election venue of their primaries. Ideato case was more shocking where the tribunal ignored the fact that Ugochinyere’s primary was already challenged by opponents and the Supreme Court and three federal High Court affirmed it as legitimate but still the Justice Akpovi led tribunal ruled in favour of a man who shameless won in one polling unit out of 346 polling unit.”