14 Candidates Vie for Imo North Senatorial Bye Election December 5

Fourteen candiadtes from 14 political parties will be slugging it out to see who will emmerge winner as senator representing Imo North Senatorial Zone bye election slated for December 5.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Imo, Prof. Francis Ezeonu said this at an interactive forum with journalists held at the INEC Headquarters in Owerri recently to update them on the preparations put in place for the election.

Ezeonu regretted that the election earlier scheduled for October 31, was cancelled because of the #EndSars crisis, causing the commission to shift the election to December 5 after meeting with relevant stakeholders.

He said that two INEC offices in the state were affected by the #EndSars problem adding that why the Ehime Mbano INEC office was destroyed by fire with a lot of properties lost, that of Ezinihitte Mbaise was attacked but not burnt.

He said that all is now set for the election with the training of both staff and adhoc which ended on Wednesday while the office had taken delivery of COVID-19 materials to be used on election day to quide against people contracting the virus.

Ezeonu said that the commission had moved the election time from 8: 30 a.m to end 2:30 pm and urged both the INEC officials and electorate to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 protocols while in the

Our correspondent reports that the REC reechoed the introduction of election result viewing portal by the commission and urged the electorate to log in to view the results first time.

He said that no devices would be allowed into the polling booth to avoid the incident of vote buying.

According to him, sensitive election materials would be distributed from the CBN on December 3 to the different LGAs of Imo North comprising Ehime Mbano, Ihitte Uboma, Isiala Mbano, Obowo, Okigwe and Onuimo.

Ezeonu said the commission would be meeting with heads of security personnel to discuss on security issues saying that 3,660 staff would be working at the 692 polling units during the election.

…CCA