Only four days to the gubernatorial election in Imo State, a contentious incident occurred as the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), namely Senators Samuel Anyanwu and Athan Achonu, respectively, walked out of a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Owerri.
The two opposition parties’ candidates accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the state, Professor Sylva Agu, of partiality and an agenda to rig the election for Gov Hope Uzodinma of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). They demanded his reassignment from the state.
The meeting took place on Tuesday as part of INEC’s dialogues with the candidates, security agencies, media and civil society organizations, and other stakeholders in the lead up to November 11 election.
The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, was represented by the National Commissioner, South-east, Kenneth Ukeagu.
Tensions flared when Ukeagu asked all journalists covering the event to power down their cameras and devices, and subsequently directed they vacate the meeting venue. Anthony Nwulu and Jones Onyereri – both deputy governorship candidates of LP and PDP respectively staunchly opposed the INEC directive.
Mr Onyereri blurted “The media must cover what we are doing. We are not running a secret society. This is about election“.
The meeting ended in a shouting match and nearly descended into a fisticuff between supporters of the ruling and opposition parties.
No new date has been fixed for a fresh meeting.
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