Senator Athan Achonu, the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the 2023 Imo State governorship election, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying it has become an extension of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
Achonu made this statement on Tuesday while responding to the Supreme Court’s decision last Friday, which confirmed Governor Hope Uzodinma as the election winner.
He expressed his disappointment, saying democracy in the country has become a “circus.”
His words:
“It is worthy of mention that the ruling party, the APC, has introduced a dangerous and unhealthy political culture. They manipulate election results and, in a brazen display of arrogance, tell the opposition to go to court.
It has become painfully evident that the Independent National Electoral Commission has become another arm of the ruling party, the APC, turning our entire democratic institution into a mere circus.”
He also criticised the judiciary on election matters, saying that the judiciary cannot ensure that the INEC does the right thing in election petition matters.
“It is clear now that in Nigeria, it is no longer the people who decide who wins an election; it is the judiciary.
“The audacity of this practice, where the judiciary’s pronouncements outweigh the people’s votes, should alarm every patriotic Nigerian,” he added.
Despite this setback, Achonu pledged that the Labour Party and his campaign team would continue to play a constructive role as the opposition. He urged his supporters and the people of Imo State to stay vigilant, adding that opposition politics should be conducted with decency and in the state’s best interest.
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