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Council poll: Imo restricts movement from 8am to 5pm

By Charles Ogugbuaja, Owerri
25 August 2018   |   5:36 am
The Imo State council election holds today in 3,523 polling units and 44 voting points across the 645 autonomous communities in the 27 councils of the state. Not less than 14 out of earlier 22 political parties that signified interest and held their primaries would participate in the exercise, for which over 8,000 ad-hoc staff…

Rochas Okorocha

The Imo State council election holds today in 3,523 polling units and 44 voting points across the 645 autonomous communities in the 27 councils of the state.

Not less than 14 out of earlier 22 political parties that signified interest and held their primaries would participate in the exercise, for which over 8,000 ad-hoc staff have been engaged.

Briefing journalists yesterday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) state secretariat on the latest development regarding the election, Chairman of the state Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC), Mr. Ethelbert Ibebuchi, said participation by any political party was not by coercion or compulsion, but show of capacity to participate.

Ibebuchi insisted that there was no court order barring the commission from conducting the election, adding: “I have not received any order stopping the election.

As I am speaking today, I have not received any and the election is taking place.”

He urged Imo people to cooperate with the commission during the exercise.

As a result, the state government has announced the restriction of movement during the election period from 8 am to 4 pm.

A statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Sam Onwuemeodo, said: “This is to inform the general public and Imo people in particular that following the local government election that will be conducted in the state on Saturday, August 25, 2018 (today), there will be restriction of movements between 8am and 5pm.

“In line with the vision of Okorocha and policy of the Rescue Mission Government in the state to take government to the grassroots and ensure swift development, the government decided to allow the autonomous communities to elect one councillor each and the councillors will be the bridge between the government at all levels in the state and the communities involved, following a law to that effect enacted by the state House of Assembly.

“The governor regrets any inconvenience the restriction might cause.”

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