The All Progressives Congress, APC led Imo State government has raised concerns over an alleged plan by the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to incite violence following the recent local government elections in the State.
The State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation, and Strategy, Declan Mbadiwe, in a statement in Owerri claimed that the PDP intends to replicate unrest similar to the recent violence in Rivers State against newly appointed local government officials.
Mbadiwe pointed to a PDP statement released shortly after the Rivers State incident, warning elected local government chairmen in Imo to avoid the council secretariats in the state’s 27 LGAs.
He argued that this was a deliberate attempt to fuel tension and called for swift intervention by security agencies to prevent any unrest.
He also criticized PDP for its accusations of financial mismanagement, dismissing them as baseless.
In response, the PDP issued a strong rebuttal, declaring the recently elected chairmen and councillors as “illegitimate.”
According to PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Lancelot Obiaku, there was no credible election on September 21, 2024, and the officials in question were imposed by Governor Hope Uzodimma.
The PDP alleged a plot by the governor to force local government chairmen to divert funds back to the state and accused him of signing questionable agreements with an Egyptian company for an electricity project using local government allocations.
The PDP called on anti-corruption agencies, including the EFCC, ICPC, and NFIU, to investigate the alleged financial misdeeds.
They also warned the newly elected officials to stay away from council headquarters, branding their presence as a violation of democracy.