By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The national leadership of the Action Alliance (AA) has raised alarm over an alleged plot to fraudulently relocate the headquarters and collation centre of Ideato Federal Constituency from Urualla in Ideato North LGA to Dikenafai in Ideato South LGA of Imo State.
National Chairman of the party, Chief Kenneth Udeze, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, described the move as sinister, clandestine and treacherous.
Udeze alleged that some political merchants and their collaborators in Owerri and Abuja packaged a forged document purporting to be a security report and consent letter signed by persons parading themselves as traditional rulers, youth leaders and politicians, which was smuggled to INEC headquarters in Abuja.
According to him, the document claimed that Urualla is no longer safe and that Ideato people have agreed to move their headquarters to Dikenafai, the community of the wife of the Governor.
“This is a big lie. It is forgery. It is an insult to Ideato Nation,” Udeze said.
The AA chairman said Urualla has always been peaceful and has never recorded any security breach to warrant removal as headquarters, stressing that there is no security report anywhere by the Police, DSS or Army declaring Urualla unsafe.
He added that Ideato people were never consulted, as no council of traditional rulers in Ideato North or South, town union presidents-general, youth body, clergy or political party authorized anybody to write INEC on behalf of Ideato.
He said those who signed the letter did so for selfish reasons and an alleged N20 million bribe.
Udeze said Urualla as Federal Constituency headquarters was fought for by their forefathers, noting that it is central, neutral and accessible to all communities in Ideato North and South, while Dikenafai is at the extreme end of Ideato.
“What is happening is nothing but pre-rigging of the 2027 general elections. When you move the collation centre to your private estate, you have already moved the results,” he alleged.
The party therefore demanded that the headquarters and collation centre of Ideato Federal Constituency must remain in Urualla, Ideato North LGA.
Udeze called on the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, and the Director of Operations to disregard and discard the forged security report, warning that INEC must not allow itself to be used to set Ideato ablaze.
He also called on the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of DSS to investigate the forgery and impersonation of Ideato traditional institution and prosecute those behind it.
“We put Governor Hope Uzodimma on notice: Ideato Nation is not for sale. Do not drag Ideato into a crisis because of 2027 politics. Leave Urualla alone,” he said.
He warned that Ideato people at home and in the diaspora will resist any attempt to relocate the headquarters to Dikenafai by all lawful means, adding that the party has alerted all its structures in Imo State to mobilize.
