By Becky Usman

The Imo State chapter of the Labour Party has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is obstructing their candidate, Athan Achonu, from obtaining certified true copies of documents related to the concluded November 11 election. This accusation was communicated through a statement released on Saturday by Chibuikem Diala, the Director of Media and Publicity for the Senator Athan Achonu Campaign Organisation.

According to the statement, the Labour Party had officially requested access to the election documents through their solicitors, with the request duly acknowledged and received by the State INEC Office on November 15, 2023. The party raised concerns about what they perceive as a deliberate delay tactic by INEC, possibly aimed at denying them justice.

The statement questioned the reasons behind the delay in releasing the requested materials, particularly given INEC’s swift announcement of election results within 12 hours after the polls. The Labour Party urged INEC to expedite the release of the certified true copies and expressed concerns that the delay might be a ploy to tamper with sensitive materials in the INEC office.

The party called on INEC, security agencies, and the national chairman of INEC to ensure a timely and transparent release of the requested documents. The statement concluded with a warning to the caretaker governor in Imo State, asserting that their victory would be short-lived.

It’s important to note that this is an ongoing situation, and updates may provide further details and clarifications.