Pulse.ng : Imo: Labour Party calls for cancellations of Guber election, insists on fresh election

By Perpetua Onuegbu

The Labour Party on Tuesday has called on the Supreme Court to cancel the Imo state governorship election in the spirit of fairness.
The party and it's candidate Sen. Athan Achonu made this call in Abuja according to a statement by it's National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh.
According to Ifoh, Imo state was a victim of controversial decision that dramatically altered the political landscape of the state.
"Inspite of clear evidence of over-voting, which should have led to the cancellation of the election, the court handed the governorship to a candidate in the face of over voting.
"These decisions in both 2020 and 2023, not only contradicted the principles of fairness and transparency but also set a dangerous precedent that undermines the integrity of our electoral process.
"As we approach another Supreme Court judgment, the question of over voting rears its head again. If it scales through again, it means that over voting will become an unwritten law of electoral jurisprudence in Imo state.

"It is therefore imperative that the Supreme Court corrects this miscarriage of justice. The future of Imo State's development hinges on the rule of law and the public's trust in our judicial system."

"A just and fair resolution in the current case before the court will not only restore confidence in our democracy but also pave the way for genuine progress and development in Imo State."

He said the integrity of the electoral process was the cornerstone of any democracy, and in Nigeria, our electoral laws were designed to ensure that the will of the people was accurately reflected in election outcomes.

"The issue at hand is clear: the total number of certified accredited voters for November 2023 governorship election, as certified by INEC, was just over 500,000.

"However, the total votes counted, which was used to declare the candidate of APC winner exceeded 700,000, resulting in an over-voting discrepancy of more than 200,000.

"We had raised this issue during the election as we had clear evidences of abuse of electoral practices including falsification and mutilation of result sheets, harassment of the Labour Party's agents, snatching of ballot boxes and open vote buying.

"According to Section 53 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), any election marred by over-voting should be canceled. This provision is unambiguous and does not leave room for alternative interpretations.

"The law was crafted to protect the sanctity of the electoral process and ensure that elections are free, fair, and reflective of the voters' true choice."

The national publicity secretary said situation was reminiscent of the Supreme Court’s controversial decision in 2020, where a similar issue of over-voting was overlooked, leading to the installation of a candidate who had initially placed third.

"Such judicial oversights undermine public confidence in the electoral system and threaten the very foundations of our democracy.

"The Supreme Court now has the opportunity to correct this injustice and restore faith in our legal institutions by upholding the law as it is written—clear, unambiguous, and without room for further interpretation.

"In yet another clear instance of miscarriage of justice, the petitioners in the Imo State governorship case faced significant obstacles in accessing crucial evidence, specifically the BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System) devices.

"Inspite of making formal requests for over 4,000 BVAS units, which were essential to prove their case of electoral malpractice, the petitioners encountered deliberate delays and obstructions.

"Of utmost importance is that fact that the Imo State election took place in only 4,720 out of 4,758 polling units in Imo State."

Labour Party and it's Publicity Secretary therefore demand that the Supreme Court should act decisively and uphold the electoral laws.

" Given the clear evidence of over-voting, which invalidates the election results according to the law, the Court should order the cancellation of the flawed election and mandate a fresh governorship election in Imo state.

"This action is essential to restore public trust and uphold the integrity of the judicial system," Ifoh said.(NAN)