Imo Guber: LP protests delay in document CTC release
By Matthew Atungwu
The Labour Party in Imo state began a protest march on Monday in opposition to INEC’s purported hold-up in releasing the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the election results from November 11.
The state party’s chairman, Mr. Callistus Ihejiagwa, led party members in a demonstration that was directed towards the INEC office located on Port Harcourt Road in Owerri.
Nine days after the poll, Ihejiagwa expressed regret that INEC had not yet made the CTCs available, despite the party having sought them for a long time.
Therefore, he pleaded with INEC’s National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and Federal Commissioner for the South-East, Mr. Ken Ukaogu, to persuade the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Sylvia Agu, “to release the documents, as requested.”
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“As the collation of results was about to begin at the state collation center here in Owerri, I petitioned INEC, concerning the manner of accreditation at the polling units, as reported by our agents across the state.
“My petition, however, fell on deaf ears as the Returning Officer, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, said it was not in his jurisdiction to hear the petition and asked us to go to court.
“Nine days on, it beats our imagination that INEC, which collated and announced results just 12 hours after the election, has yet to release the very documents – the CTCs of election documents – we need to pursue litigation,“ Ihejiagwa said.
In response, Mrs. Emmanuella Ben-Opara, Head of INEC’s Voter Education and Publicity Department in Imo, stated that the materials were being compiled and would be provided to the party when appropriate.
“We received your request for CTCs, minuted on it and your application is being attended to as the materials are being assembled as we speak.
“When we’re done, and on payment of the cost, we will release the documents to you.
“Please remain civil,“ Ben-Opara said.