INEC LOSES OVER 1,000 VOTERS CARDS TO IHITTE-UBOMA GUNMEN ATTACK
REPORTER: CHINAZO ILECHUKWU
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it lost over one thousand permanent voters cards during the recent attack at its facility in Ihitte-Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Imo State, Professor Francis Ezeonu, stated this while speaking with journalists in Owerri.
He explained that the suspension of continuous voter registration at Njaba, Orsu and Ihitte-Uboma Local Government Areas as well as fifty-four mobile registration centres in Imo State was due to the prevailing fragil security situation.
According to Prof. Ezeonu, permanent voters cards for those who registered between second and third quarter of 2021, using an automated biometric identification system, were ready and called on those who registered to visit INEC offices at the local government areas for collection.
Professor Ezeonu said of the 16,511 (sixteen thousand five hundred and eleven) persons that registered for the continuous voter registration between June and December 2021, more than 7,000 applicants had been invalidated due to multiple registrations and called on those who lost their cards to push for replacement rather than embarking on fresh registration.
He noted that Permanent Voters cards do not expire, including those issued since 2011 and advised the public to disregard the insinuation that some voters cards had expired.
Professor Ezeonu said the Commission would monitor all the activities of political parties for the build up to 2023 general election and called on gladiators to play according to the rules.
