INEC Fixes April 25 for Re-Run Elections in Imo
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo State, has fixed Saturday, 25th April, 2015, for the re-run of the inconclusive governorship election in the State.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the State, Dr. Gabriel Ada, who announced this at a press conference on Wednesday, at the commission headquarters, Owerri, said that elections would take place in 23 Local Government Areas where elections were declared inconclusive in the affected polling units. According to him, the commission would conduct elections in over 250 polling units across the 23 LGAs.
He further disclosed that, INEC would also conduct fresh polls in four state constituencies where elections were marred by violence and irregularities. The affected state constituencies where elections would be conducted include, Ikeduru, Isiala Mbano, Oguta, Isu and Owerri West.
Ada stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC), won 16 seats in the State House of Assembly while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), clinched four seats on the results so far released.
The electoral body boss said that the commission would carry out fresh accreditation of voters as no manual voting would be allowed. He further disclosed that the commission has started compiling list of electoral officers involved in “electoral” frauds with a view to prosecuting those found guilty.
According to him, it would be unfair for the commission to declare the winner of the April 11, governorship polls without conducting elections in over 250 polling units.
The state Returning Officer, Professor Ebidayo Obe, while declaring the governorship election in conclusive on Sunday, announced that the APC governorship candidate, Chief Rochas Okorocha polled 385,671 while the PDP candidate, Chief Emeka Ihedioha gathered 306,142 votes.
He said the margin between the two candidates was 79,520 votes while the votes expected from the affected polling units declared inconclusive were over 144,715.
