By Ibe Pascal, Owerri
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) INEC on Thursday, announced resumption of the voter registration exercise in 24 Local out of 27 Local Government Areas of Imo state.
Prof. Francis Ezeonu, Imo Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC made the disclosure while briefing journalists in Owerri on Thursday.
However, he said the exercise was still suspended at Njaba, Orsu and Ihitte Uboma Local Government Areas of the state because of the security situation.
Recall that INEC was forced to suspend voter registration exercise after series of attacks by gunmen on some of its officials working in the state.
He advised people from the affected areas to register in any other convenient area, adding that arrangements had been made to distribute their cards at the state office.
The REC further disclosed that 7,145 out of the 16,511 voters, who registered using the Automated Biometric Identification System were declared invalid because of dual registration.
He, therefore, appealed to voters not to duplicate their registration, adding that the permanent voters cards (PVC) does not expire.
He urged those, who had lost their PVC to come along with a court affidavit for issuance of a replacement, warning that any attempt to do a multiple registration would amount to electoral crime.
He also advised prospective voters to take advantage of the fourth quarter of the registration exercise which commenced on April 11 before it would end on June 30.
He added that the online portal would be shut down midway into the quarter to allow sufficient time for all online pre-registrants to go for the biometric capture before June 30.
The REC further announced that the commission had finished the processing of the registration data for the first and second quarters of the current voter registration exercise.
He added that PVCs of those who registered in the first and second quarters were ready for collection as well as those who registered from 2011 to 2018.
He also said the schedule of activities as published by the commission for the 2023 general elections would continue to run concurrently with the continuous voter registration exercise.
