The outgoing Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has lamented the fate that has befallen him in the All progressives Congress, APC.
According to him, the evil he was running from in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had been inflicted on him many times more by the APC.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the embattled governor however, said he would remain in the ruling party in spite of his problems with and within the party.
Okorocha insisted that he had not been treated fairly by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which had withheld his certificate of return as senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial District.
He lamented that INEC was quick to believe the report of its Returning Officers that he announced the election under duress and did not bother to investigate the claim.
He accused the INEC Chairman, Yakubu Mahmood of working in connivance with the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, whom he alleged was being used to frustrate his going to the senate.
Okorocha, who wondered what the electoral body would do with his certificate of return if they refused to give it to him said the image of the body had been bastardised.
“The evil I feared in the PDP has befallen me 10 times in the APC. Last week, I wrote a letter to INEC for the first time informing them of their wrongdoings and illegal actions to withhold my certificate on mere allegation of duress which was never founded, neither was there any committee set up to investigate the matter.
“So, INEC on its own believed the reports of the Returning Officer without investigating the authenticity of the accusation. So, there was no issue of fair hearing at all.
“What is important here is that INEC does not have the power to withhold the certificate of return, having declared the result.
“I believe the INEC chairman is up to a game with the chairman of the APC, who is being used to frustrate my coming to the Senate, and this is politically motivated. I’ve given INEC enough time to correct itself and do the needful and issue me my certificate of return but to no avail.
“Many things have happened so far and these should be of concern to everyone. INEC that made the submission to the tribunal has gone back, requesting to withdraw it because the submission was defending its declaration. But because the submission seems to be in my favour, they have said they want to withdraw the affidavit which is out of time.
“The withdrawal was made by one of their members of staff who said that Festus Okoye, a commissioner in INEC, had threatened to sack him if he did not withdraw it. So, there is a huge threat going on in INEC.
““Festus Okoye is presently being used as the hatchet man; he has gone to the tribunal in Imo asking for the withdrawal of the affidavit that has been filed defending the APC.
“I wonder what they want to do with the certificate, if they don’t give it to me, who will they give it to?
“Maybe they will give it to Festus Okoye because he is from my senatorial district but what they are doing is presenting INEC as a lying organisation and that is dangerous for our democracy because, as it stands right now, the image of INEC is bastardised.
“What it means is that tomorrow somebody can withhold the certificate of return of anybody because you don’t like his face, because you feel that he wants to politically challenge you in future.”
