The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Imo State chapter has announced its decision to challenge the outcome of the recently concluded local government elections held across the 27 local council areas and 305 wards in the state.
The party expressed its dissatisfaction with the election process, accusing the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) of undermining the election guidelines to favour the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration.
In a petition sent to ISIEC and made available to the media in Owerri, the SDP State Chairman, Ifeanyi Henry Eluwa, strongly criticised the manner in which the election was conducted.
He claimed that no election took place in any polling unit within the state, despite ISIEC’s declaration that elections were held.
Eluwa condemned the APC-led government for what he described as a decline in leadership, further alleging that the local government polls were manipulated in favour of APC candidates. He assured the public that the SDP would challenge the results in court.
“ISIEC failed to officially demand or release form ISIEC DF001 and ISIEC DF002 to qualified candidates.
The Commission also did not publish the list of qualified candidates in the constituencies where they intended to contest the election,” Eluwa said.
He further added, “The persons and their party declared winners were not qualified to contest the election.
The election was invalidated due to corrupt practices and non-compliance with the provisions of the law.”
The SDP’s petition is part of ongoing disputes surrounding the fairness and transparency of the local government elections, as several opposition parties continue to express concerns about the electoral process.
The Imo State government and ISIEC have yet to respond to the SDP’s allegations.
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