The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare its candidate, Ndubueze Patrick, as winner of the election for Imo North senatorial district.
Kola Ologbondiyan, spokesman for the party, said this in a statement on Friday.
Ologbodiyan said the delay in announcing Patrick, who he claimed has clear lead in the polls conducted within the district, might cause tension in Imo State.
He said: “From the collated results in the February 23 elections, the PDP won in all the local governments in Imo North before polls in two local governments; Isiala Mbano and Ehime Mbano were cancelled and scheduled for rerun.
“Already, from the results declared, the PDP led in Okigwe, Onuimo, Obowo and Ihite/Uboma Local Government Areas with 21,254, ahead of APC and AA, which scored 12,756 and 12,236 respectively.
“At the March 9 rerun elections, when the AA and the APC realized that the PDP was winning, they resorted to mutilation and alteration of results, particularly with the collaboration of collation officers in Ehime Mbano, before the intervention of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who called for proper scrutiny of documents following protests by the people.
“The PDP believes that INEC had completed its investigation on the documents and results of the rerun election, which established our victory in that election.
“The party therefore urges Prof. Yakubu to douse the tension in Imo State by directing the declaration of the final results and return our candidate, Ndubueze Patrick, who has been legitimately elected by the people of Imo North, to represent them at the Senate.”
