The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it lost 1,256 uncollected PVCs to bandits during the recent attack at Amakohia (RA 02) in Ihitte Uboma Local council Area of Imo State.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists at the commission’s headquarters in Owerri.

He revealed that the Voters’ Identification Numbers (VIN) of the affected cards had been submitted for reprint.

It would be recalled that three weeks ago, hooded gunmen had stormed the registration centre, killing one INEC official and carting away voting materials. The gunmen had also dispersed prospective registrants at the venue.

Also, two workers of the INEC were missing until found later after their phones were taken away by the hoodlums.

The State REC also restated that the suspension slammed on the exercise in all the 54 registration areas was still in place, stressing that the exercise was only restricted to the Local Government Areas headquarters except Njaba, Orsu and Ihitte Uboma.

His words: We most regretfully note that we lost 1,256 PVCs belonging to voters in Amakohia (RA 02) in Ihitte Uboma LGA, during the attack at Nkwo Ihitte. We have, however, submitted the Voters’ Identification Numbers (VIN), of the cards for reprint. Previously registered voters from the RA who have not collected their cards should, therefore, note that the cards are not available for now and will be informed once the reprinted cards are ready for collection.”

Ezeonu also disclosed that during the first and second quarters (June – December 2021), of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the state, using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), a total of 16, 511 registered, out of which 7,145 (43.3 %) were invalidated after a clean-up was carried out, leaving a balance of 9,366 valid registrants.

He said: “The Commission has finished the processing of the registration data for the first and second quarter (June – December 2021) of the current CVR exercise using Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS). Out of the total number of 16,511 who registered within this period in Imo State, 7,145 (43.3 %) were found to be invalid, meaning that they had registered previously (sometime between 2021 and 2018). This leaves us with a balance of 9,366 valid registration.”

He said that the commission was pursuing the 14 key activities surrounding the 2023 general elections in the country, including the recently released Election Project Plan (EPP) and Strategic Plan (SP), incorporating the past and reviewed projections, were being carried out religiously, adding that Imo State was not left out in the process.

The Imo REC urged the 18 registered political parties to stick to the INEC guidelines within the timelines, especially the primaries that would take place between April 4, and June 3, 2022. (Text, except for amended headline: Daily Sun)

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