Imo LG Poll: Election may not hold in 3 council areas – ISIEC boss

The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) has declared that elections may not hold in three local government councils – Onuimo, Okigwe and Orsu – due to insecurity.

The Chairman of the Commission, Charles Ejiogu made the disclosure during an interface with the various security outfits in Owerri.

He hinted that the major operational challenges facing the Commission in the discharge of its duties ahead of the upcoming elections is protection of staff and election materials.

Ejiogu noted that electoral officers cannot get easy access to some LGAs for routine verification of polling units and collation centres in line with operational guidelines.

The ISIEC boss said that in the absence of any circumstances beyond the Commission’s control, the date for the election, Saturday September 21, remains sacrosanct.

He commended Governor Hope Uzodinma whom he said has created enabling environment for the Commission to actualize its constitutional mandate of conducting free, fair and transparent exercise that will usher in 27 chairmen, their deputies and 305 councilors.

The state electoral chief also stressed that recruitment of 15,000 ad-hoc staff for both field and internal operations is still ongoing, even as he restated the stand of the Commission not to interfere in the internal affairs of any political party.