Imo Guber: INEC Denying Our Legal Team Access To Certified Copies Of Election Documents — Labour Party

The Labour Party (LP) in Imo State has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of denying the legal team of access to certified copies of election documents.

The party disclosed this to pressmen after it’s members staged a protest at the INEC office in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Monday.

Speaking to journalist during the protest, the state party chairman, Callistus Ihejiagwa, said that INEC was frustrating all their legal teams effort in accessing copies of election documents nine days after the guber election in the state.

He said, “INEC is frustrating us. Nine days after an official request was made by our solicitors to the State INEC office, this Commission has continued to deny our legal team access to certified true copies of documents used for the November 11 governorship election in the state as required by law.

“We have come to INEC to express our deep frustration at what is going on. Nine days ago, I was beaten up and thrown out of the hall like a common criminal while INEC and heads of security agencies in the state looked on. We were mocked and asked to go to court.

“Nine days after they have refused us access. Why then are they delaying the release of the CTC of requested materials? INEC was so efficient in announcing the results of 27 LGAs in less than 12 hours after the elections, why then is it taking the same INEC over 144 hours to issue the documents backing their pronouncements?”

Responding to the protesters, the Head of the Department of Voter Education and Publicity of INEC in Imo State, Ben-Opara Emmanuella, said the commission have received the application and will give the cost of the materials by tomorrow.

She said, “It’s your right to request for CTC. The materials are being assembled as we speak. We are already costing the material and by tomorrow, we’ll give you the cost of payment.”

INEC declared Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner of the November 11 gubernatorial election in the state and had issued him a certificate of return on Friday the 17th of November.