LG Election: NBA speaks, says there was no election in Imo …Calls on ISIEC Chairman to resign, apologize to Imolites

By CHINYERE Nnaemeka

The Nigerian Bar Association Imo State Chapter has expressed dissatisfaction over the Local Government Council election conducted in the saying “there was no election conducted”.

They stated that what took place was a “sham, and a mockery of democracy”, and so should be condemned.

Imo NBA made their stand known on Saturday, October 5, 2024 during their monthly meeting in Owerri the State capital, and while briefing newsmen.

During the meeting, a report of the observation of the Bar in the course of the election was presented before the legal practitioners, and part of it read:

“During the just concluded Local Government Council election conducted in the State on September 21, 2024, we observed that materials did not get to many local government areas, there were no Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC Staff present at the booths, and even in some places where they managed to come, they came with incomplete materials.

“In many places, they came with 5 ballot papers, with no result sheets. Some places, they came with ballot boxes with no materials.

“So what we deduced from everything that transpired was that there was no intention on the part of ISIEC to conduct an election, so the so-called election was basically a charade to deceive Imolites”.

The Owerri Branch Chairman of NBA, Chris .U. Ihentuge Esq, after the presentation of the report, sort the reaction of the legal luminaries over the report, and the stand the bar should take in that regards.

Out of the persons that spoke, only one lawyer from Oru East said that he witnessed an election in his LGA, the other persons confirmed the observation of the Bar, reiterating that there was no election in the state.

They adopted the report of the committee, and urged for Imo NBA to condemn the process of the election.

The Chairman of the Bar, Ihentuge therefore averred, ” from the comments, observations, and the report of our committee, we resolve that, what we had on the 21st day of September in this state was not an election.

“It was a sham, and a mockery of democracy. Is an insult to the people of Imo state; they wasted people’s time and the state fund in the name of doing an election, and am sure both the State Government and ISIEC were not ready for any election on that day.

“We in strong terms, condemn what happened on that day, and we are also asking the Chairman of ISIEC, Chief Charles Ejiogu, to resign because he doesn’t have the will power to conduct an election. Let him resign and also apologize to Imolites.

“The election Tribunal is supposed to be inaugurated before the election, but until today, as stakeholders we are not aware if it had been inaugurated, as If there were such arrangement, we should be notified, ‘Ihentuge stated’.

It would be recalled that the Owerri Branch Chairman of NBA, Chris U. Ihentuge, Esq., in company of the Secretary of the Bar, Daniel O. Odiba, Esq., and a member of the Bar Ike Augustine, on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, visited ISIEC office to ascertain how prepared the commission was to conduct the LG election, which according to them, they disclosed to newsmen on that day that the Chairman of the commission, Chief Charles Ejiogu had assured them of conducting a free, fair, and credible election.