Politicians are the biggest threat to Nigeria’s democracy - Imo REC
- The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) accuses politicians of threatening the country's democracy with their actions
- Francis Ezeonu alleges that some officials of INEC were held hostage in the home area of Governor Rochas Okorocha
- Ezeonu adds that some other officials of the electoral body were forced to sell their appointment letters
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Imo, Francis Ezeonu, has accused politicians in Nigeria as the biggest threat to the country’s democracy.
Ezeonu made the claim during the collation of the governorship election in the state.
The Cable quotes Ezeonu as lamenting the many challenges that resulted in the delays that were experienced in the announcement of the final result.
Ezeonu said: “Politicians are the greatest threat to democracy.”
The REC revealed how some supervising presiding officers from the Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri, were “hijacked by politicians” while others were forced to sell their appointment letters.
According to the REC, all the supervising presiding officers found culpable were dismissed and new ones were appointed from the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike.
He said the new appointment was to make it easy to collate results at ward levels.
He further lamented that there were cases of violence and malpractices across different local government areas in the state.
Ezeonu noted that such violence was recorded at Ngor Okpuala, Ideato north and Ideato South local government area, the home town of Rochas Okorocha, the state governor.
He added that the electoral officers of Ideato north and south were held hostage and that based on the reports from Nkwerre local government area, where Uche Nwosu, Okorocha’s son-in-law, is from, results from the place had been cancelled.
Ezeonu also said results from Isiala Mbano local government area were cancelled because hoodlums attacked adhoc staff and destroyed electoral materials.
The REC further noted that some fake policemen were arrested after they were hired to disrupt the election had been arrested.
Prof Francis Otonta, the returning officer of INEC announced the final results at the Imo governorship election collation centre in Owerri, the state capital on Tuesday, March 12.