Imo State election live update and happenings can be accessed on The Herald.
Recall the today, Saturday November 11, 2023 is election day in Imo State, Nigeria’s Southeast. The Herald understands that voters across the 27 local government areas of Imo State will head to the polls to elect the governor of the state for the next four years.
According to the final list of candidates published in October by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 18 candidates are contesting the election.
They are Uchenna Okere of Accord (A), Jack Ogunewe of Action Alliance (AA), Ifeanyi Awulonu of African Action Congress (AAC), Otumbadi Okoroma of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Steve Nwoga of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Goodhope Uzodinma of ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Anthony Ejiogu of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Chibuike Edoziem of Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Others are Obieze Achilike of Action Peoples Party (APP), Isaac Iwuanyanwu of Boot Party (BP), Nneji Achonu of Labour Party (LP), Ben Ofunzeh of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Cole Okwara of National Rescue Movement (NRM), Samuel Anyanwu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ishiodu Uchechukwu of People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Bright Ekwebelem of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chino Opara of Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Andy Chibuike of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
However, The Herald reports that their are five major candidates, they are;
- Hope Uzodinma (APC)
- Samuel Anyanwu (PDP)
- Nneji Achonu (LP)
- Jack Ogunewe of AA
- Anthony Ejiogu (APGA)
INEC Update On Number Of Voters For Imo State Governorship Election
Figures published by INEC on its portal show that there are 2,419,922 registered voters in the state, but only 2,318,919 collected their permanent voter cards (PVCs) and are eligible to vote in the election on Saturday. The registered voters are 6.5 per cent more than the 2,272,293 recorded for the 2019 elections in the state.
Voting will take place at 4,758 polling units (PU) in 305 registration areas. However, 38 PUs have no registered voters and will not open on the day.
Voters’ strength across LGAs
The three senatorial districts in Imo State are categorised into Owerri zone (Imo East), Orlu zone ( Imo West) and Okigwe zone ( Imo North).
Owerri zone has nine LGAs—Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise,Ezinihitte Mbaise, Ikeduru, Mbaitoli, Ngor Okpala, Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West.
Okigwe has six LGAs (Ehime Mbano, Ihitte/Uboma, Isiala Mbano, Obowo, Okigwe, Onuimo) , while Orlu has 12 LGAs. These are Ideato North, Ideato South, Isu, Niaba, Nkwerre, Nwangele, Oguta, Ohaji/Egbema, Orlu, Orsu, Oru East and Oru West.
However, according to data published on INEC portal, Owerri Zone with nine LGAs emerged as the zone with the highest number of PVCs collected for the 2023 governorship poll in the state.
A review of the zonal data showed that 1,032,405 voters collected their PVCs in Owerri Zone, while in Orlu Zone 890,702 voters collected their PVCs. Okigwe Zone has the fewest voters with 395,812 collecting their PVCs in the area ahead of the election on Saturday.
Categories of registered voters
According to the INEC’s data, there are slightly more women among the voters. A total of 1,199,263 (49.9 per cent) are male, while 1,220,659 (50.1 per cent) are female.
Of these figures, 33 per cent of the voters fall between the age bracket of 18 and 34 years, while the age group of 35-49 years (middle-aged) represent 33 per cent of the registered voters.
Also, 23 per cent ( 559,122) fall under the age group of 50 -67 years and only 276,492 (12 per cent) are 70 years and above. A total of 1,225 are people with disabilities.
Imo Election Live Update, Situation Report
Police ready to provide adequate security in Imo – DIG Mba
The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Imo State governorship election, Frank Mba, has said the police is ready to provide adequate security for the voters saying the state is not a war zone nor on fire.
Mba made the disclosure while addressing newsmen on the level of preparedness for the Saturday polls on Friday at the command headquarters, Owerri.
According to him, the police and other security agencies will do everything operationally and administratively to provide a level playing ground for all the political parties.
The DIG said: “Whatever the security concerns of the state, they are not unsurmountable because they are clearly things we can surmount. I’m positive that we will deliver.”
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