From Nnamdi Ofonye, Owerri
The Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Imo state, Emeka Ihedioha has filed a petition at the state governorship election petition tribunal challenging the victory of Governor Rochas Okorocha of the APC at the just concluded Governorship elections.
Disclosing this to HOMELAND NEWS at the tribunal secretariat in Owerri, the Imo state capital, the secretary of the tribunal Mr Adamu Aliyu said the petition by the PDP governorship candidate is the third on the governorship election submitted to the tribunal having earlier received petitions from the Mega Progressives Peoples Party and the African Peoples Alliance.
Mr. Ihedioha, through his lead Counsel, Chief Mike Ahamba, is praying the Court to declare him winner of the election or alternatively cancel the said election and conduct a fresh governorship poll in Imo state.
The petition also pointed out that the process was fraught with substantial non-compliances with the electoral act particularly the extensive infringement of paragraph 28 of the guidelines for the 2015 election by declaring results on votes obtained without accreditation or in excess of accredited voters.
The PDP candidate who is also the Deputy Speaker of the outgoing House of Representatives, so alleged total breach of the principle of neutrality embedded in the Electoral Act as flagrantly perpetrated by INEC staff and agents while praying the Tribunal to order the electoral commission to withdraw the certificate of Return issued to Governor Rochas Okorocha.
It will be recalled that Governor Okorocha of the APC was declared winner of the Imo state governorship election after a supplementary election having scored 416,996 votes to beat his closest rival Honourable Emeka Ihedioha of PDP who scored 320,705 votes.
No date has yet been fixed for hearing.
