Imo Seeks CUPP Spokesman’s Arrest Over ‘False’ Allegations

The Imo State Government on Friday accused the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party and a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, of “sponsoring” the spokesperson of Conference of United Political Parties, Ugochinyere Imo, against the state Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

At a press conference in Owerri, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, said that the allegation made by Imo against Uzodimma that the governor hacked into the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission to manipulate the voter registration data was mischievous.

He, therefore, called on security chiefs to immediately arrest the CUPP spokesperson for “false accusation against the state governor.”

The commissioner said investigation carried out by the government revealed that the PDP was behind the insecurity in Orlu just to discredit the state government.

He added that the opposition party was not comfortable with the successful hosting of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and the inauguration of projects executed by Uzodimma in the state.

“This is why we deem it necessary to call on the relevant security agencies to immediately arrest the said Ugochinyere to find out from him how he obtained the voters’ register he has been parading before the public even when the Independent National Electoral Commission is still at the stage of Automated Biometric Verification of the System, which must be concluded before an official voters register can be released to the public.

“Consecutively, it should be clear that the claim by Ugochinyere that there was fraudulent registration at Omuma, the ward of the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, could have only come from a jaundiced and mischievous mindset.”

Responding, the PDP spokesperson in the state, Collins Opuruozor, said it was laughable for the state government to call for the arrest of Imo.

Opuruozor said that neither the PDP nor Ihedioha was sponsoring the CUPP spokesperson.

“We have the Director of DSS in Imo State, the commissioner of police, the Commander of 34 Artillery Brigade Command, Obinze, and none of them has accused opposition members of being behind insecurity in Imo State.

“But let me say it that any attempt to clampdown on opposition will be counterproductive,” he said.