IMO DECIDES: Distribution Of Electoral Material, Accreditation Commence

Distribution of election materials has commenced in some parts of Imo State as a total of 2,318,919 residents with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are expected to elect their next Governor.

As of 7:32 am on Saturday, the distribution of electoral materials had begun at the Ehime-Mbano Local Government Area (LGA) Headquarters, Umueze, Imo state.

The LGA is the country home of the Labour Party’s Governorship Candidate, Nneji Achonu who hails from Umunumo in Ehime-Mbano LGA.

Buses had started to move out to the polling units, and as of 7:45 am, most of the electoral materials had been dispatched to the polling units, Live updates monitored by THE WHISTLER revealed.

As of 8:20 am, voters in Umuogbe, PU 009 in Ehime-mbano witnessed the gradual turnout of voters as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, set out for accreditation.

By 8:33 am in Umuogbe Hall II, Umuezeoma in Ehime-mbano, INEC officials were ready for accreditation but voters were yet to turn up.

Hence, villagers resorted to the use of traditional gong to call the attention of voters.

As of 8:45 am, INEC officials were ready and waiting for voters to turn up, but there was no presence of party agents, security agents, and seats for them in ward PU019, Umuaro Umunumo of Ehime Mbano LGA

Meanwhile In Otulu 2, PU02, in Oru West LGA of the state, INEC officials told TheCable, “We were waiting for the officers assigned to us to come together. We couldn’t come here alone,”

According to the (INEC) guideline, the election process is scheduled to commence at 8.30 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m.

Voting is expected to take place at 4,758 polling units (PU) in 305 registration areas in the state, but the exercise will not be held in 38 PUs because there was no registered voter at the units.

Data published by INEC on its portal showed that out of 2,419,922 registered voters in the state, only 2,318,919 collected their PVCs.

The data further showed a 6.5 per cent increase in registered voters from the 2,272,293 recorded for the previous 2019 elections in the state.