By Chinyere Nwaneri
The Imo State chapter of the Labour Party has accused the ruling APC of desperation to rig the governorship and assembly elections through what APC called cluster voting.
It made the allegation in a press statement availed journalists in the state at the weekend. The statement signed by the state party chairman, F. B. I Onyekpuluisi indicated that she is in rejection of the move which it described as a design to rig the election.
She accused the APC of acting in complicity with the electoral umpires, INEC in seeking to rob people of their mandates
Excerpts of the message reads:
“Our attention has been drawn to a sinister plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in Imo State in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct cluster election in some local government areas as a result of insecurity for the March 18, 2023 House of Assembly Election in the state.
“The plan of the election manipulators is to gather voters from affected areas at the Local Government Area Headquarters to vote for APC under the supervision of compromised INEC officials and security officers who will scare supporters of other parties away from the polling units.
“We want to state categorically that LP will not be party to cluster election in any part of the state and will resist the attempt to subvert the will of Nigerians as was witnessed during the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday 25th February, 2023.
“We urge Imo electorates to turnout en masse and vote their conscience at the House of Assembly polls billed for Saturday 18th March, 2023.
We assure them that their votes will be protected.
In spite of the assurances from INEC there are still strong suspicions that it may not keep to its promises
