The Coalition of Okigwe Youths, a political pressure group, barricaded the entrance to the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Owerri, in protest against the outcome of the December 5 Imo North senatorial bye-election.
The members of the group were seen in a peaceful protest in front of INEC office displaying placards with different inscriptions.
Some of the inscriptions were ‘Do not create bad precedence’, ‘Who was candidate of the All Progressives Congress? ‘, ‘Obey the rule of law’, and ‘Time for substitution of candidates has elapsed’ among others.
Addressing newsmen, the group’s Coordinator, Chiedozie Ibekwe, described the youths as critical stakeholders in the development and deepening of democrac.
He added that the youths of Imo North would not allow their senatorial district to be used for what he described as political experiments with dangerous undertones.
Citing two court injunctions which disqualified candidates of APC barely 24 hours to the election, Ibekwe urged the electoral body to revisit its pronouncement that APC was the winner of the election.