General Ogunewe: “I Won Imo LP Gov Ticket”; Calls Achonu’s Victory  “A Fraud”, Vows To Fight Till End

By Charles Igbo

The crisis which engulfed the Imo State Chapter of the Labour Party, LP,  in the weeks running to its Governorship Primary, and climaxed on Saturday, 15 April, 2023, when it was held, is far from over. If anything, it is escalating.

On the day of the Primary, the Party held parallel Primaries in three venues, and, so, produced three Candidates. The candidates are Dr Basil Maduka, Chief Ikechukwu Ukaegbu, and Chief Athan Achonu.

While Maduka and Ukaegbu don’t really matter much, and their candidacy and the process which produced them not recognised by the Leadership of the Party at the National level, or even the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,  the process that produced Achonu is what the Party recognised and would go with.

However, even the process that produced the candidate has become a subject of controversy. Allegations of vote-buying and corrupted Delegates list are strong.

Hours before voting started, one of the aspirants, Dr Sam Amadi, stepped down, alleging that the venue has become awash with US Dollars to corrupt delegates. He said he was not prepared  to bribe anybody.

Three Candidates were considered the front-runners  in the election. They were a retired Major General, Lincoln Jack Ogunewe, Chief Martin Agbaso and Senator Achonu, the eventual winner.

On the day of the election, many people betted on Ogunewe. But the outcome of the process, supervised by Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Alex Oti, showed otherwise.

In a very close contest between Achonu and Ogunewe, Achonu came tops by scoring 134 votes while Ogunewe scored 121 votes.

But Ogunewe is crying foul. He said he was robbed of victory. He said not only was  vote-buying deployed, the delegates list was corrupted. He accused Achonu of buying delegates up with the sum of $300 each. He, also, accused the Local Government Chairmen of the Party of smuggling-in fake delegates, following what he described as an honest error made by the Election Committee headed by Otti.

Ogunewe: “At the said primaries an honest error was made by the Election Committee when it asked Local Government Area Chairmen of LP to identify delegates from their areas. Many party chairmen who had been compromised by one of the contestants, Mr Athan Achonu allowed non-elected fake delegates to enter into the election hall.”

He said he was ignored when he protested. He said the election was rigged in favour of Achonu.

In a Press Statement he issued in Owerri on the 17th April, he disclosed that he has petitioned the Election Appeals Committee of the Party, and expects that the Governorship ticket from which he was cheated, will be returned to him.

Ogunewe: “I have followed due process of the law by filing a petition to our Party Governorship Primaries Election Appeals Committee on these flagrant violations that occurred at the primaries and l expect that justice would be done.”

Following is the full text of the Press Statement.

“My good people of Imo state, l bring to you Calvary Greetings.

“(1) You may recall that on Saturday the 15th of April 2023 at Landmark Events Centre in Owerri, Imo state, Labour Party Governorship primaries election was conducted by His Excellency Dr Alex Otti.

“(2) At the said primaries an honest error was made by the Election Committee when it asked  Local government area chairmen of LP to identify delegates from their areas. Many party chairmen who had been compromised by one of the contestants Mr Athan Achonu allowed non-elected fake delegates to enter into the election hall.

“(3) These said fake delegates confessed to receiving $300 dollars each to vote for Mr Achonu.

“(5) That despite my protestations, these fake delegates voted and at the end of the day Mr Achonu who scored 134 votes was declared winner against my 121 votes which made me to come second.

“(5) My position is that the elections were manipulated and rigged when LP local government chairmen were asked to identify delegates and many of  them left the original delegates list and admitted fake delegates to vote.

“(6) That all my 121 votes were from original LP delegates that emerged from the Ward Congresses of LP.

“(7) That if all the votes of the fake delegates who collected $300 dollars and voted for Mr Achonu are cancelled or voided l would automatically score the majority of the votes and emerge winner of the Imo state governorship primaries election.

“(8) That l have followed due process of the law by filing a petition to our Party Governorship Primaries Election Appeals Committee on these flagrant violations that occurred at the primaries and l expect that justice would be done.

“(9) However Ndigbo should know that the time has come for us to move away from Party-based politics to candidate-based politics where the educational credentials, career records, integrity, credibility and capacity of an individual should be the focus of our quest for transformational  leadership. Peter Obi has already set this example.

“(10) Finally, l thank all my teeming supporters in LP both within the state, through out the country and globally. I also thank the leadership of our great party.

“Let it be clear to all and sundry that the LP family in Imo state gave me their mandate without vote buying to fly the Flag of the Party at the November 11, 2023 governorship elections. I shall do everything legally possible to execute that mandate! Our victory is certain with me leading from the front!

“Udo diri unu. Thank you and God bless.”

Not a few Imolites are disappointed with the crisis which has engulfed the Party, and are of the strong opinion that if nothing is done to reconcile the LP before the 11 November, 2023, the LP will have a drubbing in the hands of the ruling Party.