The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC, has postponed indefinitely the local government council chairmanship and councillorship elections.
The electoral umpire had scheduled the polls to hold on March 25, 2022.
The Chairman of the ISIEC, Ugochi Onyeka announced the indefinite postponement on Friday, February 18 while addressing members of Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC at the commission’s Secretariat along Orlu Road in Owerri, the state capital.
Onyeka disclosed that the Commission cannot hold elections in 10 out of the 27 local government areas in the state due to security challenges in those council areas.
According to her, the commission’s offices in five local government areas were also recently razed by hoodlums.
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She stated that the security breaches were such that the Commission cannot guarantee peaceful polls in those council areas.
According to her, the Commission cannot conduct polls in an atmosphere in which life and property cannot be guaranteed.
She assured that the elections would hold in the 27 local government areas soon, saying that the Commission was in touch with the security agencies to ascertain when it would most appropriate to conduct the elections.
Responding, the Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and Chairman, Labour Party, LP, in the state, Ichie Eke said the Inter-Party Advisory Council was in full support of the ISIEC in the indefinite postponement of the elections.
Eke pledged the readiness of the IPAC to work together with the Commission to ensure peaceful, credible and free and fair polls at the council areas whenever the elections eventually hold.
Recall successive governments conducted local government council elections in the twilight of their exit from office.
Apart from the Achike Udenwa administration which governed with elected local government administrators, the Ikedi Ohakim and Rochas Okorocha administrations conducted Chairmanship and councillorship elections one year to their departure.
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