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Senator Athan Achonu, the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 Imo State governorship election, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) operates as an extension of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Achonu’s comments came at a press conference in Owerri on Wednesday, reacting to the latest Supreme Court ruling confirming Governor Hope Uzodinma as the winner of the governorship election.
The court decision confirmed Uzodinma’s victory after a legal journey through the appeals court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
“It has become painfully evident that the Independent National Electoral Commission has become another arm of the ruling party, the APC, turning our entire democratic institution into a mere circus,” Achonu said.
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He criticized the way the judiciary handled election disputes, saying, “The audacity of this practice, where the decision of the judiciary is more important than the voice of the people, should alarm every patriotic Nigerian.”
Achonu continued, “It is worth mentioning that a dangerous and unhealthy political culture has been introduced by the ruling party, the APC. They manipulated the election results and, in a brazen arrogance, told the opposition to go to court. It is now clear that in Nigeria, it is no longer the people who decide who wins an election; it is the judiciary. Unfortunately, the judiciary has failed to ensure that the Electoral Commission does the right thing in matters of election petitions like this.”
In response, the spokesperson for the Imo State Electoral Commission, MaryAnn Godslight, replied, “The Electoral Commission is independent as stipulated in the Nigerian constitution. You cannot judge the commission based on one person’s personal opinion.”
Cajethan Duke, Imo State APC Public Relations Secretary, also dismissed Achonu’s allegations as “ludicrous, absurd and delusional,” stressing that the claims were baseless and undermined the credibility of an institution recognized for its role in advancing democracy in Nigeria.
Imo governorship aspirant LP accuses INEC of bias in favor of APC first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.
