INEC declares Imo North senatorial re-run inconclusive, APC candidate appeals for calm

The All Progressives Congress senatorial candidate in the last Saturday’s rescheduled Imo North re-run election, Rt. Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu,

has appealed to his numerous supporters and the people of Okigwe zone who participated in the election to remain calm over the outcome of the exercise. 

The APC candidate who spoke shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared the senatorial election inconclusive, owing to minor cancellations in some parts of Ihitte-Uboma, Ehime Mbano and Isiala Mbano local government areas respectively, also extolled the doggedness and the democratic spirit exhibited by the Okigwe people in ensuring that their overall wishes prevailed. 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the result of Imo North Senatorial District rerun election, conducted on Saturday, July 23, inconclusive.

Also declared inconclusive were the results of Oru East and Isiala Mbano State Constituencies following reported cases of shootings, which characterised the exercise in some communities in the two affected areas.

The shootings were reported at Okata and Amiri in Oru East, while skirmishes and snatching of ballot boxes characterised the election in some communities in Isiala Mbano area.

Prof. Arinze Agbogu, the INEC Returning Officer for Imo North Senatorial District who announced the result on Sunday, however said Mr. Ben Uwajumogu, APC’s senatorial candidate, polled 48,921.

Agbogu also announced that PDP’s Athan Achonu scored 40,142 votes to emerge second in the already declared result.

He explained that results of several polling units in Isiala Mbano area were characterised by irregularities leading to cancelation of the results.

Agbogu explained that the exercise was cancelled in 15 polling units with a total of 13,000 registered voters.

According to him, the difference between the candidate with the highest score and the second stood at 8,777 votes.

While describing the entire exercise as relatively fair and peaceful, the APC candidate who was the former Speaker of the Imo state House of Assembly, maintained that despite unavoidable hitches recorded, the poll no doubt, rekindled the confidence of the average electorate that votes still count. 

Uwajumogu who also thanked the Governor of the state and the APC   for their support, described the INEC’s call for a supplementary election in the zone, as a temporary delay towards the affirmation of the wishes of Okigwe people. He called on Okigwe electorates to focus more on the goal of delivering all the remaining polling units to the APC, noting that power belongs to the people.      

“It’s indeed gratifying seeing the people who are the bedrock of any surviving democracy take the driver’s seat in determining who represents them at any level of governance. The outcome of this exercise today has really shown that against all odds, political power rests on the thumb of the people”.

“To our teaming supporters who cut across party lines and indeed Ndi Okigwe, we should not despair or feel insecure over the current state of the poll, rather, we should guard our loins in readiness of the enormous task that is ahead of us, as this could better be said to be a delayed victory”.

He however extended an olive branch to his major challenger who is the PDP candidate, Chief Athan Achonu, to come on board, bury any political hatchet and join him in the task of rebuilding Okigwe zone to regain its prime status, as according to him, “the overall development of Okigwe zone is a collective responsibility that we owe, not only to ourselves and the younger generation, but to our posterity”.  

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