The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) has debunked claims that the Commission has released the names of political party candidates ahead of the polls.
News About Nigeria reports that the local government elections are scheduled for September 21.
Reacting to the claims, the ISIEC Chairman, Charles Ejiogu, issued a press statement urging political parties and the public to disregard the report.
Ejiogu described the report as “misleading and potentially disruptive” to the Commission’s plans for transparency.
“The attention of ISIEC has been drawn to the news making the rounds to the effect that the Commission had released the names of candidates in the upcoming local government council elections. This piece of information, in its entirety, is both misleading and mischievous,” the statement stated
Ejiogu clarified that, in accordance with the Commission’s constitution and guidelines, the list of candidates from all registered political parties will only be released after a mandatory validation of candidates’ personal details, as required by law.
Following this development, the ISIEC Chairman directed all participating political parties, their candidates, and the general public to disregard the rumour, which he described as a “blatant falsehood” with outright ignominy.
In June, the ISIEC chairman, during a stakeholders meeting in Owerri, said local government polls would take place on September 21, across 305 wards and 4,758 polling units in the state.
He said, “We have gathered the stakeholders to show our determination to deepen democratic governance at the grassroots level in Imo State. It has to be on record that following Nigeria’s return to constitutional governance in 1999, the forthcoming Local Government Council elections into the offices of Council Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, and Councillors will be the fifth having had elections in 1999, 2004, 2010, and 2018 respectively at the third tier”.
“Pursuant to its establishment Law No. 14 of 2000 as amended, the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission is charged with the task of conducting and supervising a free, transparent, and credible local government council elections in Imo State.”
