Politics

APGA, PDP protest as Okorocha wins senatorial poll

Published

5 years ago

February 26, 2019

Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has been declared the winner of Saturday’ s Imo West senatorial election .
The returning officer, Prof Francis Ibeawuchi , announced at the collation centre in Orlu on Monday that Okorocha of the All Progressive Congress polled 97 , 762 votes to win the election ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party ’ s Mr Jones Onyereri ( 68 , 117) and All Progressive Grand Alliance ’ s Osita Izunaso ( 30 , 084) .

While Okorocha ’ s victory sparked jubilation among his supporters , his opponents and their supporters protested against the result .

Izunaso , who rejected the result , alleged that Okorocha didn ’ t deserve to win.

The ex – lawmaker , who dumped the APC for APGA last year , alleged in an interview with reporters after the announcement that Okorocha manipulated the poll .

The APGA chief , who was in the Senate between 2007 and 2011 , said he had petitioned INEC over the development .

He claimed he won in seven out of the 12 LGAs in the senatorial district.

Izunaso said , “ This is the worst election since the creation of Imo State . A lot of malpractices happened . No result was collated at ward levels . ”

Meanwhile , a former member of the House of Representatives and PDP deputy governorship candidate in the state , Gerald Iroha , has accused Okorocha of electoral fraud.

Iroha , who addressed a press conference in Owerri on Monday , claimed the governor and his aides used policemen and soldiers to intimidate voters .

According to him , Onyeriri , who is a serving member of the House of Representatives , won the contest .

He claimed the original result from Oguta LGA indicated that the PDP defeated Okorocha .

Iroha said , “ The result is fake and the returning officer has said he announced it under duress. ”

Also , the PDP rejected the outcome of the Ohaji Egbema / Oguta / Oru West House of Representatives poll won by Kingsley Uju of Action Alliance .

Spokesman for the party in the state Damian Opara claimed in an interview with reporters in Owerri on Monday Uju used police and soldiers to rig the poll .

Opara, who alleged that the final result announced by INEC did not conform with the figures announced at the polling units , urged the electoral body to declare his party ’ s candidate Obed Acholonu the winner .