The Imo State Government has denied a claim by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that the government led by the All Progressives Congress (APC) is planning to cheat in the upcoming local government election.
The election will take place on September 21, across all 27 local government areas in the state.
Responding to the claim, Declan Emelumba, the Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation, and Strategy, released a statement. He said that Governor Hope Uzodinma is very popular because of his good work. So, the APC will likely win the election easily.
He added that the accusation by the PDP is insulting. He said the PDP is a party that has failed and is not strong enough to compete with the APC in any election.
“PDP is in pieces. People in Imo State see it as a failed party. They know they cannot win any seats, so they are saying lies to make the election look bad before it even happens,” he said.
The Commissioner criticized the PDP for always making false claims to get sympathy instead of working hard and campaigning.
He said that the APC is not only strong in Imo State but also unbeatable, as shown in the November 11, 2023, governorship election where APC won in all 27 local government areas.
“Even the local government area of the PDP’s governorship candidate was won by APC. The Supreme Court confirmed that Governor Hope Uzodinma won fair and square,” he added.
Emelumba also mentioned that no successful governor like Uzodinma would need to cheat in a local government election, especially since the APC is well-rooted in the state’s community.
He assured everyone that the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) is independent and will conduct a credible, free, and fair election on September 21, 2024.
“PDP always cries about cheating in elections because they always lose,” he said.
He encouraged the people of Imo State to ignore the false claims by the PDP and to vote strongly for APC to enjoy more benefits of democracy, especially at the community level.