ELECTION OBSERVER GROUP RAISES ISSUES WITH IMO GUBER POLL
REPORTER: CHINAZO ILECHUKWU
An international election observer group, the Pan African Women Projects, has advocated the use of drones by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deliver materials to polling units on election days to check late commencement of voting.
The Head of Mission of the Group, Dr. Eno Udensi gave the advice in Owerri while presenting a preliminary report of the findings of the body after monitoring last Saturday’s governorship election in Imo State.
She noted that while there was early commencement of voting in some polling units, there were areas where the exercise commenced late due to delay in the arrival of officials.
Dr. Udensi said the election witnessed some irregularities like vote buying, violence, intimidation and snatching of ballot boxes at Attah Ikeduru in Ikeduru Local Government Area, Owerri municipal, Oru West and Oru East Local Government Areas where the group monitored during the election.
She also pointed out irregularities in results uploaded in the INEC portal, lapses on the part of security personnel and low turnout of voters as some of the areas of concern.
Dr. Udensi solicited a stakeholders meeting where the roles of security agents would be reviewed to improve outings in subsequent elections.
Dr. Udensi explained that the group deployed over four hundred personnel to monitor the election in select areas in the state however commended INEC for successfully completing the process while appreciating the efforts of the media in ensuring objective coverage of the election.
EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
