Blood bath was averted in the early hours of Monday as party agents snatched the results sheets at the final collation of the results of the governorship election in Imo State.
The incident was sparked off at about 5.10 am when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s agent, Uche Onyeagocha prevented the Returning Officer in charge of Ideato South Council Area from announcing the result.
Ideato South is the Local Government Area of the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and a stronghold of the Action Alliance (AA), which the governor is supporting in the election.
Before the mayhem, results of ten Local Government Areas had already been announced, with PDP and AA winning five LGAs each.
Onyeagocha alleged that the result was padded and cannot be accepted by his party. All entreaties by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, to allow the appeals to continue were rebuffed by the angry PDP Agent, who snatched the result sheets and tore it to shreds.
It was at this point, other party agents pounced on him resulting in free for all. Media men and observers, who were monitoring the collation, ran for safety as the police and other security agents tried to calm the situation.
The resultant melee sparked heavy fighting among the supporters of the various political parties, who kept vigil at the vicinity of the INEC office.
Motorists had to avoid the Port Harcourt Road where the office was located for fear of molestation.
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