The Labour Party (LP) has demanded for the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the just concluded Imo off-circle governorship election result from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The LP members made the request at the INEC’s Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday during the party’s peaceful protest to demand for the CTC.
They said that the documents were important for the party to approach the court over the outcome of the poll.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that INEC declared Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress the winner of the election with 540,308, votes while Samuel Anyanwu of the People’s Democratic Party came a distant second with a total of 71,503 votes.
NAN reports that Athan Achonu of the Labour Party who polled 64,081 votes to come third in the election is intending to contest the result in court.
According to Kennedy Ahanotu, LP National Youth Leader, who led the labour party members to INEC, the immediate release of the CTC will afford the party time to go to court.
“INEC as the lone standing man in democracy should not take a side in election matters because they are like referees.
“Legal processes involving elections are time bound and we have 21 days to apply and out of that 21 days, INEC has taken 12 days so we have limited time now.
“This is a peaceful demonstration and we are demanding for the CTC because we intend to challenge the election in court to fulfill all righteousness because we still believe in the judiciary,” he said.
The LP Gubernatorial candidate in Imo, Achonu reiterated his intention that he collected the CTC for legal action.
“I am here to collect the CTC, we have applied and they are yet to get back to us.
“We have applied in the state and there are some we need to collect here at the headquarters; I won’t leave here till I get it today,” he said.
Responding, INEC, represented by Malam Mohammed Haruna National Commissioner INEC, in company of Prof. Abdulahi Zuru another National Commissioner, assured LP of its cooperation.
“The Chairman said we should come on behalf of the commission to receive your petition.
“CTC is your right, it is the right of every petitioner and I assure you, you will get it.
“It will be attended to because this is your right,” he said. (NAN)