PROTEST ROCKS RESULT COLLATION IN IMO

REPORTER: CHINAZO ILECHUKWU

Collation of presidential election result in Imo State resumed around noon February 27 with additional six local government areas received by INEC to raise the number of local government areas collated so far to 20.

The exercise was however disrupted following protests by political party agents, who alleged manipulation of results, which favoured the All Progressives Congress (APC).

State Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, (SD), Prince Marshal Okafor-Anyanwu, and a PDP agent, Chief Martins Ejiogu, urged INEC to reject results from Okigwe and Oru East Local Government Areas alleging that elections did not take place in most of the wards where results were generated.

It took the intervention of security agents to restore normalcy to the collation center as the APC agent, Mr. Cyprian Akaolisa, insisted that INEC should accept the result, arguing that the commission lacked the powers to reject any result presented by collation officers.

The State Collation Officer, Professor Charles Esimone, urged the protesting parties to make a formal complaints for onward presentation to be presented to INEC in Abuja.

Meanwhile, the exercise has been adjourned until 5pm.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU