From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Governor Hope Uzodimma has asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate and arrest the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) candidate for Ideato federal constituency, Ikenga Ugochinyere over his allegations that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voters register in his ward,Omuma is inflated.
Ugochinyere had alleged at a recent press conference that the governor’s ward had less than 6, 000d registered voters on the INEC’s list .
But Uzodimma who countered the claims of Ugochinyere in a briefing on Friday by the State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba noted that his allegation is subject to investigation, since he is not a staff of INEC.
On the claims of 6 000 voters on the INEC register at Omuma, Uzodimma explained that in 2014/2015,the ward has not less than 10, 000 voters and 23, 000 in 2019.
The governor has therefore accused the PDP candidate of attempting to incite the people of the state through his numerous claims.
He said: “This is coming from a man whose life has been defined by recklessness, irresponsibility and seditious outburst.
“This is why we deem it necessary to call on the relevant security agencies to immediately arrest the said Ugochinyere, to find out from him how he obtained the voters register he has been parading before the public even when the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) is still at the stage of Automated Biometric Verification of the System (ABIS), which must be concluded before an official voters register can be released to the public.
“In actual fact, INEC has issued an official statement on this and has even gone further to list the names of the states that entered fictitious registration of voters. Imo State is not on that list. It is therefore clear that Ugochinyere either hacked INEC Saver and doctored documents there-from or forged the document he was brandishing. Either way is criminal and it is important that he is immediately arrested for questioning,” the governor said.
