Johnkennedy Uzoma,Owerri
A group, under the auspices of Okigwe Progressive Youths Movement, says it completely rejected any form of imposition of candidate in the Imo North by-election scheduled to hold on October 31, 2020.
In a peaceful protest match at both INEC office located at Port Harcourt Road, in Owerri, and Government House, the group vowed to resist any act of flagrant abuse of due process and impunity.
The protesting youths, in their numbers chanting songs and with placards which reads, ‘INEC obey the law’, ‘Grass root demands for Senator Godwin Ifeanyichukwu Araraume’, ‘Imo North APC demand justice’, ‘We say no to imposition’, matched through the streets of Owerri before moving down to the major entrance to Government House.
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In a press statement presented to newsmen and read out by Hon. Emeka Nwagerue, the group said that the Imo North Senatorial primary election has become a nightmare to the people of Okigwe and Imo State.
While describing imposition of candidate as an aberration and act that must be resisted by all, the youths regretted “the tyranny and subversion of collective will exemplified in the sham that have thrown up a disqualified person like Frank Ibezim as APC candidate for the election.”
The group insisted that Frank Ibezim has many uncertainties trailing his academic qualification which is already in the public domain.
According to them, Ibezim submitted both fake certificate and affidavits to the APC Screening Committee which necessitated in his disqualification by the screening committee and the Appeal committee.
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The youths further declared that Ibezim was not qualified to contest and in fact did not contest the Imo North APC primary elections despite the fact that he swore to an oath that he is a complete graduate with NYSC discharge certificate, but ended up in submitting WAEC ASHI qualification to INEC.
They pointed out that APC in the state could not afford to make another Bayelsa or Edo mistakes, adding that Ibezim has become a huge liability to himself and the APC.
The group maintained that Sen. Araraume is the winner of the Imo North APC Primary election, while warning those who think that the by-election result would be written for INEC to stay clear of the politics of the area.
