From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
Imo State government has declared that it has no plan to rig the forthcoming local government election as alleged by the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The government further declared that going by the popularity of Governor Hope Uzodimma based on his quantum people oriented projects scattered across the State, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will post overwhelming success in the election.
The State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Hon Declan Emelumba said it was very insulting for PDP to accuse the Governor of “smuggling an already written results to ISIEC.”
Emelumba who was responding to a press statement by PDP through its publicity secretary, Lancelot Obiaku to the effect that the government was set to rig the election, dismissed the PDP as a failed party, now in tatters, that is ill prepared for the election.
“PDP is in tatters. It is best remembered in Imo State today as a failed party. They know already that they can not win a single ward in the State, that is why they are crying wolf, trying to discredit an election that is yet to hold, ” he submitted.
The Commissioner berated PDP for always raising a false alarm to attract sympathy instead of going to the field to campaign.
He noted that APC was not only strong in Imo State but very formidable and impregnable as evidenced in the superlative performance it posted during last November’s governorship election in the State.
” APC won in all the 27 local government areas of the State. PDP could not even win the local government of their governorship candidate. After dragging APC to all the courts, the Supreme Court still affirmed that His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodimma, won fair and square.”
He said no Governor with such a record will descend low to rig a local government election, more so when APC is firmly rooted in the grassroots of the State.
Emelumba also made it clear that ISIEC remains truly independent and would therefore conduct a credible, free, and fair local government election come September 21, 2024.
He said those entertaining doubts as to the credibility of the State electoral body already know that they will lose the election.
“It is a well-known trademark of PDP to raise false alarm about imaginary rigging of an election because failure is their constant companion,” he said.
He called on the Imo electorate to ignore the antics of a “drowning Party” and vote massively for APC as a guarantee to more democracy dividends in the State, especially at the grassroots.
