By Chidiebere Iwuoha
Owerri
Last Saturday’s Imo re-run elections in Imo North senatorial zone and three other state constituencies, were marred by over-voting, ballot box snatching, tomb-printing and stuffing of ballot papers into ballot boxes.
These conditions left the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with no other option than to cancel some affected polling units in the six local government areas of the zone and those of other state constituencies.
In a chat with newsmen, the Imo state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Nasir Ayilara, said he was still getting reports from returning officers on what really happened.
Ayilara expressed regrets that upon all the efforts put in by his commission to ensure a successful re-run in the state, politicians and their supporters could not get it right, making victory a do or die affair.
Meanwhile, the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have laid claim to victory.
While the supporters of APC jubilated over their perceived electoral victory got from a result released from the office of the SA to the Governor on Political Matters, the PDP supporters were claiming that they have the original results which favoured them, although it was manipulated by APC.
The PDP senatorial candidate, Chief Athan Achuonu, said the PDP agents were beaten black and blue by APC supporters until the results were changed.
