Insecurity: INEC to conduct election in all Imo units

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday said it would conduct elections in all polling units in the state during the November 11 governorship election in the state despite insecurity. in

At a press conference in Owerri, the state capital, the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Sylvia Agu, said that the commission would conduct elections even in troubled local government areas like Orsu, Orlu, Okigwe, and Oguta.

She said that the security agents had assured the commission of adequate security before, during, and after the election.

The REC disclosed that 2,318,919 people had collated their Permanent Voter’s Cards while 101,003 people had yet to collate their PVCs ahead of the election.

She said, “The number of collated PVCs is  2,318919, while uncollated PVCs stand at 101,003. The polling units where elections won’t take place are 38. These are places with zero registration numbers. The election will be held in 4,720 polling units.

The total number of polling units is 4,758.

“Our workforce for the election revolves around 21,000 staff. We are ready for this election. It is an off-cycle election, the very first one in the history of Imo state, and we are very prepared for it. The election will start at 8.30am and stop at 2.30 pm. We will collate results electronically.

She said that out of the 13 programmes lined up by the commission for the election, INEC had perfectly executed 11, remaining just two items on its list, which she said are the last day for campaigns by political parties and their candidates, which is November 9 and the election proper slated for November 11.

Agu continued, “Furthermore, the Independent National Electoral Commission in the State has held several stakeholders’ meetings at various levels to dialogue with the stakeholders and collaborate with them towards achieving a successful election.

“Through these meetings, we have sought to strategically engage the security agencies under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), political parties and their agents, traditional rulers and their executive cabinets, religious leaders and faith-based groups, youths and women groups, organisations of persons with disabilities (OPWDs), civil society organisations and non-governmental organizations, media executives and journalists, different voter education providers and all who have made monumental contributions in organising and conducting free, fair, credible, inclusive and safe elections in the State.

“The benefit of these partnerships in promoting voter education, voters’ participation, transparency, inclusivity, peace and security throughout the process cannot be overemphasized as the success of an electoral process is a collective effort of all partners and also not a day’s event.”