Pro Okorocha groups threaten to occupy streets of SE states

By Our reporter

South East Professionals and Presidential Support Committee (SE) are two groups that have questioned the decision of the Independent National Electoral Committee, INEC to withhold Rochas Okorocha's certificate of return after pronouncing him winner threatening to occupy the streets of the 5 Southeast states if it is not reversed. They also condemned in strong terms the declaration of Emeka Ihedioha as the governor elect of IMO State in the just concluded general elections.

Speaking through a press statement signed by Emeka Ugwu for South East Professionals and Maxwell Okoye, for Presidential Support group, the duo group alleged that Emeka Ihedioha did not meet the minimum requirement of the constitution to be declared.

"That from the results purportedly declared, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha did not meet the minimum requirement of Section 179 (2&3) as he did not secure the mandatory 25% votes casts in 18 out of the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State. Rt. Hon. Ihedioha only secured 13 local Government Areas Only," the statement read in part.

They insisted that the act allegedly perpetrated by the Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, in conspiracy with the State Returning Officer, Prof. Francis Otunta. They therefore called for the removal of the REC and the investigation of both the REC and the Returning Officer of conspiring with the People's Democratic Party to rob Okorocha and his son-in-law of their mandate.

They then called on the INEC National Chairman to hand over the certificate of return to Okorocha and hold a run off guber election for Imo State threatening to occupy the streets of the five States of Anambra will be occupied if they don't heed their call.

"Finally, we call on INEC, as a matter of urgency, to issue a Certificate of Return to H.E. Owelle Rochas Okorocha as Senator-Elect, Imo West Senatorial District; and to conduct a runoff election in line with Section 179 (4) of the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

In the event INEC refuses to do the needful by end of business Monday the 18th day of March, 2019, the streets of the five States of the South East will be lawfully occupied.