Returning officer in Imo West says he declared Rochas the winner under duress after being detained

LEGAL action is almost certainly impending in the Imo West Senatorial District after the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) returning officer Professor Innocent Ibeawuchi revealed that he announced the results under duress.

Yesterday, Professor Ibeawuchi declared Governor Rochas Okorocha of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the elections, having secured 97,762 votes. He defeated Jones Onyereri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 68,117 and Osita Izunaso of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, who got 30,084 votes.

In a dramatic revelation, however, Professor Ibeawuchi,  has alleged  that he  was forced to declare Governor Okorocha  the winner  of the poll by  APC supporters. Speaking in Owerri, he claimed, that he was held hostage from 7pm on Sunday until11am on Monday and because he feared  for his life, he had to announce the results which he claimed was inconclusive as there  was electoral fraud  in eight local government areas.

Professor Ibeawuchi said: “I was compelled to announce the result which was inconclusive. I am a man  of integrity and it is not true that the governor slapped me but  I was held hostage by agents working for him and I was manhandled but I thank God I came back alive.”

He said he was rescued by policemen and soldiers after he had announced the result. Inec will now have to rule on the matter and decided whether it will cancel or accept the result of conduct supplementary elections in the affected local government areas.

However, Governor Okorocha dismissed the allegations, insisting he deserved to win the election. His chief press secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, described the  returning officer as a bloody liar who may be acting a script.

Mr Onwuemeodo said: “Having won  in nine out of the 12 local government areas announced, we heard that they were   trying to move the result sheets to Owerri but when we demanded an explanation, the man Ibeawuchi said he was  tired and didn’t feel safe, when nobody was threatening him. At the end, we discovered that  he didn’t have the declaration sheet, so I wonder where this is taking us."

Governor Okorocha added: "I hope Inec would change this system because we will resist them if they try it in the next election. They should examine the returning officer to know his mental state because if he doesn’t  have a  mental illness, then he must be a criminal to ever think of that.

"How could someone ask you to change the result of an election he has already won? My score is above 90,000 and the nearest to me is slightly above half of it, when you combine both Jones and Izunaso’s votes.

"They can’t match or contest against me in Imo State not to talk of Orlu zone. I asked the  resident electoral commissioner here to quickly correct these anomalies as the returning officer is a bloody liar who may be acting a script.”