BY GIDEON ATUK
Ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship election, the Imo state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Sylvia Agu, was the subject of the protest by some chieftains of the Labour Party, who stormed the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state on Friday calling for his removal.
The State Chairman of the LP, Callistus Ihejiagwa, led the protest at the INEC’s office, along Owerri-Port Harcourt road in Owerri, insisting that the only way to ensure a credible election in Imo was to remove the REC.
The protesters cited an alleged unacceptable conduct of the INEC’s REC, where guild lines for the elections were not duly followed during the last National/State house of Assembly elections.
Mr Ihejiagwa said: “The only way to ensure a credible governorship election in the state on November 11 was for the commission to immediately redeploy its REC in the state.
“The party is no longer comfortable with the current REC in the State following what we observed during the House of Assembly Elections, and national Assembly elections where INEC guidelines were not followed.
“What we are demanding is very simple, remove the REC and follow the electoral guidelines stipulated by you.We are tired of politicians occupying leadership positions through the backdoor. Enough is enough.
“Our party will continue to be peaceful and will also continue to demand for the right things to be done for the betterment of the State.”
Responding on behalf of the commission, the head, voters education in INEC office in the state, Emmanuella Opara, thanked the LP party chieftains for the way they conducted themselves and reassured the party of the commission’s readiness to conduct peaceful and transparent election in the state on November 11, adding that the commission would never compromise on its duty to conduct a credible poll in the state.
