One of the governorship aspirants in the just concluded labour party governorship primary in Imo State, General Jack Ogunewe (retd), has rejected the outcome of the primary election.
Achonu had last Saturday won the governorship Primary Election, in which General Ogunewe placed second.
In a statement, the retired army general, said exercise was manipulated by Mr.Achonu, who doled out $300 dollars to some fake delegates.
Ogunewe noted that “At the said primaries, an honest error was made by the Election Committee when it asked Local government area Chairmen of LP to identify delegates from their areas.
“Many party Chairmen who had been compromised by Mr.Athan Achonu allowed non elected fake delegates to enter into the election hall.
“These said fake delegates confessed to receiving $300 dollars each to vote for Mr.Achonu” he alleged.
Ogunewe added that “despite my protestations, these fake delegates voted and at the end of the day, Mr.Achonu who scored 134 votes was declared winner against my 121 votes which made me to come second.
He noted that “elections were manipulated and rigged when LP local government Chairmen were asked to identify
delegates and many of them left the original delegates list and admitted fake delegates to vote”
He further alleged that “all my 121 votes were from original LP delegates that emerged from the Ward Congresses of LP
“That if all the votes of the fake delegates who collected $300 dollars and voted for Mr.Achonu are cancelled or voided, I would automatically score the majority of the votes and emerge winner of the Imo State governorship primaries election”
He said he has “followed due process of the law by filing a petition to our Party Governorship Primaries Election Appeals Committee on these flagrant violations that occured at the primaries and I expect that justice would be done”
He said he is confident that “the LP family in Imo State gave me their mandate without vote buying to fly the flag of the party at the November 11, 2023 governorship elections”, vowing to “do everything legally possible to execute that mandate”