The Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner Professor Francis Ezeonu has expressed his worries over conduct of the 2023 elections in the state.
He said if nothing is done urgently to stop arson on INEC offices across the state, it will pose a great threat to the election in 2023.
Ezeonu, who disclosed this while briefing reporters in Owerri, said eight INEC offices in the state had been burnt in the past year.
He mentioned Njaba, Isu, Ehime Mbano, Mbaitoli, Orlu, Ezinihitte council areas as the commission’s offices that had been touched by arsonists while the offices at Ngor Okpalla and Isiala Mbano, he said, were completely razed down.
“This is a great threat to the 2023 elections in Imo State. But the commission is trying to overcome. As far as we don’t have further damage to our structures, we are sure to have the 2023 elections in Imo State,” he said.
He announced that the physical continuous voter registration exercise (CVR) will commence on July 19, 2021.
Ezeonu noted that, the exercise will start at INEC state and local government offices first and continue at other centers at a later date.
The REC said the commencement of the exercise was delayed as a result of the security challenges in the country.
He added that although the attacks on INEC offices across the country have stopped, the commission is still worried about the threats they could pose to registrants.
He further disclosed that scheduled appointments for online registration will start July 19, 2021.
The Nation
