The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC, has come under scathing criticisms for organizing what opposition parties termed a charade of council polls in the state.
Both the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, described the council elections in the state as a sham.
In a statement signed by Lancelot Obiaku, the state Publicity Secretary, the PDP said the ISIEC proved itself to be a rogue commission going by the way it conducted the polls.
Obiaku described the polls as an organized fraud and unprecedented rape of democracy.
ALSO READ: https://nigerdeltaconnect.com/abia-postpones-planned-restrictions-on-tricycles-motorcycles
According to him, as at 4:00pm on a supposed election day, there was absence of sensitive and non-sensitive electoral materials at all polling units across the state even as election officers were nowhere to be found at the voting centres.
The PDP spokesman disclosed that the development made frustrated voters to retire to their homes after waiting for so long.
He accused the electoral commission of delivering electoion materials to the leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC at the various Local Government Areas.
Also speaking, the state Secretary of the APGA, Hon Vincent Amadi regretted that polls never held in his OAU Emeke Agbala Ward 014.
He disclosed that he arrived at Ward polling unit at 10:00am and till 5:00pm no election officers and materials were sighted in the unit.
Hon. Amadi said the story was same in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area where the party's Chairmanship Candidate, Hon Amuchie had to address the newsmen to alert the world.
In Mbaitoli Local Government Area, voters were seen protesting against the conduct of polls without result sheets.
Our correspondent gathered that ISIEC officers also brought election materials to Urualla, headquarters of Ideato North Local Government Area at 3:18pm without result sheets compelling the voters to disallow voting except the result sheets were made available.
Meanwhile, the APC has given kudos to the ISIEC for conducting what it termed peaceful and credible council polls in the state.
Speaking with our correspondent via telephone, the state Publicity Secretary, Cajetan Duke disclosed that the electoral commission distributed materials right from its headquarters in Owerri to avoid a situation where opposition parties would accuse council bosses in the local government councils of tempering with materials at ISIEC's offices at the local government areas.
Duke disclosed that polls went on well at his Nguru/Umuowa Ward in Ngor/Okpala Local Government Area where the candidate of the APC was returned elected.
According to him, the story of peaceful and credible polls play out in other council areas in the state
He noted that the state governor Senator Hope Uzodimma is not in the state yet the elections went on well.
Duke said this development shows the good Democratic credentials of the governor.
In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Information, Strategy and Public Orientation, Hon Declan Emelumba lauded the peaceful conduct of the polls.
Speaking at his ward in Oru West Local Government Area of the state, Hon Emelumba said the process was seamless as voters cast their votes without stress.
