The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed April 25 for the run of the 2015 Governorship and some constituencies in the state House of Assembly elections in Imo.
The Imo state election has earned the undisputed title as one of the competitive electoral landscapes in Nigeria. The re-run on April 25th, is the second time elections will be conducted twice, having witnessed a re-run election for the 2011 election, subject to a tribunal ruling that annulled the victory of then Governor, Ikedi Ohakim of the PDP. The subsequent election produced incumbent Governor, Rochas Okorocha.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Gabriel Ada, announced the re-run election for April 25th, 2015, at a news conference in Owerri on Wednesday.
It would be recalled that INEC had declared the April 11 governorship polls in Imo inconclusive, following the cancellation of elections in over 250 polling units in 23 of the 27 local government areas.
Ada said the state constituencies affected in the re-run include: Ikeduru, Isiala Mbano, Isu, Oguta, Owerri West, and Oru East.
He explained that INEC ordered re-run for the governorship election because of the 79,000 difference between the votes scored by the leading and the second candidates.
“The registered voters in the affected polling units are more than 145,000 and when you consider this figure with the difference, you discover that it was quite substantial number of voters,” he said.
Ada, who gave a breakdown of the state assembly results where the exercise had been concluded, said APC won 16 seats, PDP five, while six were inconclusive.
He further explained that some ad-hoc workers were being investigated for their roles in the manipulation of results during March 28 and April 11 elections.
“We have several cases of figures being subverted from polling units to ward and down to the local government areas.
“INEC is investigating all these matters and those found culpable will be prosecuted,” he said.
