Mma Odi, the Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability Executive Director, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of resurrecting people who were murdered in Orlu Zone and creating spiritual polling units without deploying personnel and materials.
The prominent anti-graft crusader alleged that the commission engaged in questionable practices, ultimately resulting in the declaration of Hope Uzodimma, the incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of last Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the state.
Odi expressed her views during a monitored program, stating that the actions of the electoral umpire in the recent off-circle governorship election were highly regrettable and unfortunate.
She said: “What happened in the Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa elections, particularly in Imo and Kogi, was very unfortunate.
“And the almighty BIVAS that we were told would be the medicine that would cure our electoral diseases was not able to do just that.
“They told us that if you were not accredited, you would not vote because you are not eligible to cast your votes and that BIVAS would show the number of accredited voters. Because you are not accredited, you cannot vote. But what INEC did in Imo State and others was very unfortunate and detestable.
“INEC went and resurrected all the people that had been murdered in the Orlu Zone. The Orlu Zone has 10 local governments, and that particular zone decides elections in Imo State. They went to Okigwe Zone, resurrected the dead people and also created spiritual polling units. Even where they did not deploy personnel and materials, they created spiritual polling units and materials, recorded and uploaded non-existent votes.
“INEC created results in their imaginations and uploaded the same even where there were no polling units, and people were not seen to have come out and voted.”