PDP SWEEPS IMO LG POLL

By NBF News

The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) yesterday announced the results of Saturday's Council election with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sweeping the poll in all the 27 Local Government Areas of the State.

Announcing the results, the Chairman of the Commission, Barrister Emma Nwoye, disclosed that 20 registered Political Parties fielded candidates for both chairmanship and councillorship election.

Nwoye, who could not announce the results of the councilors, stated that the Commission conducted election in 305 wards in the state, assuring councillorship results would be made public within the next 24 hours.

Describing the exercise as interesting, free and fair, Nwoye stated that 'Election is not marred by violence. It is practically violent-free.'

On the setting up of Election Tribunals, he disclosed that the Commission had already informed the appropriate authorities that they needed for such tribunals to enable aggrieved contestants to vent their grievances.

Reacting to the conduct of the election, PDP Chieftain in the State, Chief Patrick Onuoha, described the exercise as a ruse, well planned to disenfranchise eligible voters in the state.

Onuoha, who alleged that there was no election in some parts of Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Council Area, further alleged that the Commission's officials colluded with some people from the areas to disenfranchise majority of voters.

According to him, there was no election result sheets in almost the polling booths in the area even as he claimed that election started in some parts of the Council at about 4pm and closed few minutes later.

The Saturday exercise was almost marred by early morning downpour, which led to late arrival of electoral materials in almost all the polling booths monitored. Electoral officers also had difficulties in getting to their respective centres.

However, the availability of materials in some of the centres encouraged smooth conduct of the exercise as reasonable percentage of the electorate were seen casting their votes.