The Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has said the Independent National Electoral Commission has vindicated him that the Ward Congress of the All Progressives Congress in the state was conducted in breach of acceptable standards for elections.
Okorocha stated this in a statement on Friday by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemedo.
Okorocha said INEC’s report on the congresses confirmed that sensitive materials, including result sheets, were not provided during the election.
The statement quoted the Imo State INEC Administrative Secretary, T.O.N. Ongele, as having confirmed that the exercise was characterised “in its entirety” with confusion and controversies.
The statement said: “It is pertinent to state that the ward congress in its entirety was characterised by confusion and controversies as reported by the officers who monitored the congress at the various wards and local government areas.
“At a point, we were told that the Congress Committee Panel that was posted to Imo State was swapped with that of Anambra State, but no letter to that effect was received by the Resident Electoral Commissioner.
“In some of the local government areas, the INEC observers reported that result sheets were not provided and in some areas, electoral personnel were not seen. In some other instances, the INEC monitors were told on arrival that the congress had been concluded. In some other places, there was no evidence that the congress took place.”
Onwuemedo also said the Electoral Officer for Mbaitoli Local Government Council, Mary Odilinye, also revealed that INEC staff were redeployed to various party officers to monitor the exercise but on reaching there, the offices were met locked.