The Imo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress has called on the state governor, Hope Uzodimma, to properly fund and mandate the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, to conduct local government council elections within the next six months or face legal and political actions.

The party also carpeted Uzodimma for allegedly openly lying and deceiving the teeming youths of Imo State with the promises of securing overseas employment for Imo State youths and sending 4,000 of them to Canada and Europe to resume work.

The ADC stated this in a statement made available to newsmen by its National Vice Chairman, South-East, Chilos Godsent.

Godsent enjoined Uzodimma to look inward in other to harness the indigenous talents and potentials of Imo youths.

The ADC chieftain expressed astonishment over the deliberate political underdevelopment, leadership suppression and drain orchestrated on Imo State youths by Uzodimma and his predecessors.

He enthused, “The ADC therefore calls on Senator Uzodimma and the All Progressive Congress-led government of Imo State to properly fund and mandate IMSIEC to conduct local government elections before the end of June 2024.

“The ADC also flayed Uzodimma for openly lying and deceiving the teeming youths of Imo State with the promises of securing overseas employment for them and promising to send 4,000 of the youths to Canada and Europe to resume work.

“The ADC therefore enjoins Uzodimma to look inward in other to harness the indigenous talents and potentials of our youths.”

The party charged the governor to create the enabling environment to attract investors to come in and invest in Imo State.

It said, “It is a big shame for the APC-led government of Imo State that some investors in the state are threatening to close down their businesses and relocate them to another state because of political witch-hunting and the growing insecurity in the state.

“We wish to state that if by the end of January 2024, the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission fails to announce and publish the timetable for Imo State local government council elections, the ADC will have no other options that to take every necessary legal and political action to declare this alleged looting conduit called transition government illegal, and ask the Federal Ministry of Finance to stop releasing local government allocation for Imo State.”

Reacting to the ultimatum, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, stressed that the state government has put machinery in place to conduct council election as soon as possible.

END.