The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and governorship candidate of the party in the state, Senator Samuel Anyanwu have accused the Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, the House of Assembly representing Mbaitoli, Hon Engr Innocent Ikpamezie as well as the Resident Electoral Commissioner Prof. Silvia Agu, of secretly trying to undermine the recruitment of Ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC for the November 11 Governorship Election in the state.
This was contained in a press statement signed by Mr. Ikenna ONUOHA, the director, Media and Publicity of the Imo PDP Sam-Jones Governorship Campaign Organization and reads in full as follows:
"The Governorship Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party in Imo state has uncovered conspiracy by Gov Hope Uzodinma, Hon Innocent Ikpamezie and the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Silvia Agu to undermine the recruitment of Ad-hoc Staffs of the Independent National Electoral (INEC) for the November 11 Governorship election.
"Cureently, Uzodinma has delegated Innocent Ikpamazie to liaise with the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Silvia Agu to ensure that the Ad-hoc Staff are only limited to APC members across the state and they are working on that directive. Information gathered on good authority has it that the APC government in the state released N100 million to the REC for this exercise.
"In lieu of the release of the huge sum, Prof Silvia Agu and Innocent Ikpamazie have started implementing Uzodinma's directive by requesting all Sole Administrators and President Generals of Town Unions to invite interested APC members ready to work as Presiding Officers or Assistant Presiding Officers to their respective LGAs with effect from Tuesday to be captured.
"This is against INEC rules that empowers every interested persons for the ad-hoc job to access the Commission's website and apply online as the only condition to be shortlisted. One now wonders why a Senior INEC staff like Prof Agu would utterly and flagrantly working to undermine the rules of her engagement simply because she is an interested party or an APC member in disguise struggling to please Uzodinma and her party in the state.
"In view of this development, the council therefore warns the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state to desist from aiding and abetting crime in the cause of her duties. This provocation will never be tolerated under the watch of Prof Silvia Agu who is expected to be neutral.
"Regrettably, the said Prof Agu is still facing legal charges over her alleged role in aiding electoral malpractices in the previous elections. The PDP Governorship Campaign Organization therefore calls on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the Inspector General of Police, Director of State Security Service and other heads of security agencies to call Prof Silvia Agu to order so as not to embarrass the country again during this off-cycle election."
