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Richard Ogunsile
Guest
The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) has commenced handing out sensitive and non-sensitive election materials ahead of local government elections.
Naija News understands that 17 out of 19 registered political parties are taking part in today’s distribution of the election materials throughout the 4,758 polling stations in the state.
Before this, at a meeting with journalists at the commission’s headquarters, the head of the ISIEC, Charles Ejiogu, revealed that the commission was swift with distributing the election materials to protect them from damage.
Ejiogu also mentioned that this protection extends to the presentation of the voters’ list, highlighting that previous events have indicated a tendency for some individuals to damage the voters’ list when it is displayed a few days before the election.
He assured that the commission is ready to carry out an open process that will appoint 27 local council chairmen and 305 council members, who will oversee the councils’ operations for the next two years.
The head of the ISIEC emphasized that, according to the authority granted to the commission by Establishment Law No. 14 of 2000, which gives it the power to organize and oversee local council elections, the commission is dedicated to providing a fair and open process to the state’s citizens.
He highlighted that this distribution is the fourth election the commission has managed since its inception.
The state’s main election official also acknowledged the challenges the commission faces but reassured that these issues are not too difficult to overcome, as significant measures have been implemented to tackle some of these problems.
“On June 16 this year, we made a public presentation of some of the guidelines for the conduct of this year’s election and assured that we would provide a level playing field for all critical political stakeholders, from which we have never deviated. We remain consistent with our course.
“We took ample cognizance of the existence of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the umbrella body that oversees the affairs of all political parties nationwide, because we know that an election is a process that, once started, cannot be stopped midway. The political stakeholders should see themselves as part of the process,” Ejiogu noted.
He announced that the voting process would cover 4,758 voting locations throughout the 305 districts in the area and that the organizing body anticipates the voters will participate freely without any coercion concerns.
Ejiogu mentioned that to guarantee a fair and open process; the organizing body has to actively communicate with different political groups to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity.
He recognized the role of the media in portraying the organizing body’s operations with a strong sense of professionalism, noting that they are dependable allies in the mission to conduct a trustworthy election for the area.
Regarding safety, the head of the organizing body explained that the commission had important discussions with various security forces recently to ensure a smooth operation.
Nonetheless, he emphasized that the decision to proceed with the elections remains unchanged—elections will not be held in areas deemed too unstable, such as Okigwe, Onuimo, Orsu, Orlu, and the Mbano area, as reported by security agencies.
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