The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Imo State has firmly rejected the results of the local government elections held on September 21, asserting its intent to contest the outcomes in court.
This resolution was communicated through a petition submitted to the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) by the SDP’s state Chairman, Ifeanyi Eluwa, which was subsequently shared with reporters in Owerri.
It is noteworthy that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) secured victories in all 27 chairmanship positions and 305 wards in the recent local government elections.
The SDP expressed strong disapproval of the electoral process, accusing ISIEC of manipulating the procedures to benefit the APC-led government. Eluwa claimed that no legitimate elections took place in any of the polling units across Imo State, expressing disappointment over ISIEC’s assertion that elections were conducted.
The SDP chairman criticized the current APC administration for what he described as a decline in leadership quality, pledging that the party would pursue legal action against the allegedly rigged election results.
Eluwa outlined the reasons for the party’s dissatisfaction, stating, “ISIEC did not officially request or release Form ISIEC DF001 and ISIEC DF002 to eligible candidates. The Commission also failed to publish the list of qualified candidates for the constituencies in which they intended to run.”
He further alleged that the individuals and their parties declared as winners were, at the time, unqualified to participate in the elections. “The election has been rendered invalid due to corrupt practices and failure to adhere to legal provisions,” he concluded.
