INEC suspends voter registration outside state, LGA offices after attack on staff in Imo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in all 54 additional centres created to facilitate the exercise in Imo State.

The INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

He said the decision followed Thursday’s attack on the commission’s staff by unknown gunmen in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of the state.

A staff of INEC was shot dead and two others declared missing after the gunmen invaded a voter registration in the area.

Okoye said the CVR would now be confined to INEC state and local government area offices, except in Orsu, Njaba, and Ihitte Uboma where it is suspended indefinitely.

READ ALSO: 45% of PVCs in Nigeria invalid — INEC

The commission had earlier restricted the exercise to INEC offices in Oru East, Oru West, Orlu, and Ohaji-Egbema LGAs.

He said: “This decision follows a further report from the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Francis Ezeonu, of threats to our staff involved in the exercise in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area.”

Okoye added that INEC had now established contact with the two officials reported missing in Ihitte Uboma.

He stressed that the staff are safe and would soon be reunited with their families.

“The safety of staff remains a primary concern to the commission.

“We will continue to ensure that no staff is put in harm’s way while working with the security agencies and community leaders to protect them and facilitate their work,” the national commissioner added.

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