Imo Collation Center: LP agent beaten, bundled out for protesting results discrepancy

In a dramatic turn of events at the Imo State Collation Center in Owerri, Calistus Ihejiagwa, an agent of the Labour Party (LP), faced physical assault and expulsion as he vehemently contested the election results from local government areas.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning during the collation of governorship election results, further exacerbating tensions in the electoral process.

Ihejiagwa’s objections centered around discrepancies between the results presented at the state collation center and the figures available on the Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

He adamantly insisted on submitting a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address the alleged inconsistencies.

However, the Returning Officer for the election, Prof Abayomi Fashina, rejected Ihejiagwa’s attempts, asserting that it was beyond his jurisdiction to receive petitions. The LP agent persisted, calling for a suspension of the collation process to reconcile the numbers on the IReV with those provided by local government area collation officers.

Despite his pleas, Ihejiagwa found himself isolated as his colleagues perceived him as an impediment to the ongoing collation. In a disturbing turn of events, he was physically assaulted and forcibly removed from the collation center at 5 am, leaving the collation process to continue without his interference.

The controversy in Imo State mirrors a broader context, as governorship elections were also conducted in Kogi and Bayelsa on November 11, 2023. However, the collation of results from these states has been adjourned to Sunday morning, raising concerns about the integrity and transparency of the electoral process in the three states.