Ikedi Ohakim
The principal item on the agenda of the crucial meeting, which commenced at 5:00 PM Nigerian time, is the "inconclusive" gubernatorial election. As SaharaReporters revealed on Tuesday, the day of the election, the unpopular incumbent, Ikedi Ohakim, was thoroughly defeated by the APGA candidate, Rochas Okorocha, but unscrupulous INEC officials helped him boost his votes in the Okigwe area.
Despite that illegal intrusion, Mr. Ohakim still lost.
An INEC official told SaharaReporters that but for pressures from the Goodluck Jonathan government which had helped prolong the crisis in Imo, INEC would have declared Rochas Okorocha winner by now as it was clear that Ohakim had lost.
Imo is of critical interest to Mr. Jonathan, who is a personal friend of Mr. Ohakim. Campaigning there on February 23, he told the people, “For us to succeed, we at the centre will work with you and we know that you will vote for Ohakim because I need him. I need to work with somebody like him to make sure that these good things will come to Imo State.”
Today, an INEC source told us that an election rerun would likely take place in one local government area—Ngor Mpala LGA—in order to finally conclude the Imo state logjam. An election they hope will legitimize results from Oguta LGA and Ohaji/Egbeema LGA.
SaharaReporters has further learned that President Jonathan and Ohakim want elections to be redone in three local governments that would hand Ohakim a winning advantage by rigging particular in Oguta LGA area.
Meanwhile, there is palpable tension in Owerri as citizens there await the outcome of INEC's decision which is expected to follow the meeting in progress. If the issue is not resolved, a constitutional crisis will emerge, as it would mean that the Imo state election was not conducted or resolved 30 days before handing over on May 29 2011. That is a scenario that would help Jonathan take over the state and then fertilize the ground for the PDP to overcome the current resistance in the state.
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