The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Imo State, Ifeanyi Araraume, has asked the state election petitions tribunal to nullify the state governorship election held on March 9, 2019.
He based his position on the claim that the exercise did not comply with the provision of the Electoral Act 2010 and the 1999 Constitution.
Araraume also asked for an order voiding the certificate of return issued to Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party as the governor-elect.
The suit has the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as respondents.
In the petition filed on his behalf by Ahmed Raji (SAN), K.C Nwufo (SAN), I. K Bawa (SAN) and others, Araraume also asked for an order directing INEC to conduct a fresh governorship election in the state, in compliance with the 1999 constitution and the Electoral Act.
He claimed that all the votes from Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise, Ehime Mbano and 17 other local government areas of the states, were unlawful votes.
The APGA candidate alleged that there were massive hijacking and diversion of ballot papers and other electoral materials to places other than polling units.
He claimed that booklets of ballot papers were massively thumb-printed by agents of the PDP in favour of Ihedohia in the affected local government areas.
He said the thumb-printed ballot papers for Ihedioha were subsequently stuffed into ballot boxes and recorded in favour of the PDP and its candidate in the stated local government areas.
Araraume also said out of the 27 local government areas in the state, the purported winner of the election scored 25 per cent of total votes cast in 12 local government areas, thereby rendering his purported return invalid.
