25 INEC officials arrested in Imo state for electoral malpractice

www.odogwublog.com reports that the Police in Imo State yesterday arrested no fewer than 25 ad

hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that participated in the conduct of the supplementary governorship and state assembly election in the state over alleged thumb printing of ballot papers in favour of one of the political parties.
Also arrested by security operatives for same offence was a sister to a PDP chieftain in Oru East.
The officials, it was gathered, were caught at five different polling units in Omuma, Oru East perpetrating the malpractice in the residence of a chieftain of one of the political parties and were taken away by policemen.
An eyewitness, who preferred anonymity, said that Mr. Mike Igini, one of the visiting Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, accompanied by DIG Job Doma, acting on a tip off swooped on the accused ad hoc staff and apprehended the suspects.
When contacted, the Imo State REC, Dr Gabriel Ada confirmed the arrest of some ad hoc officials of the commission but could not give details of the number of persons involved among other issues.
Imo Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Andrew Enwerem, in his reaction, said that he was yet to receive official briefing on the arrest of the INEC officials.
Our correspondent, who monitored elections in the following polling units; Afor Akuma, Omuma Market Square, Central School, Akuma, Secondary School, Akuma, Central School, Omuma, all in Oru East LGA and Egwe Town School, Osemoto Community, Osemoto Hall units in Oguta LGA report that the election was largely peaceful and hitch-free.
However, there were reports of massive failure of card readers in picking the thumb prints of the voters during accreditation in almost all the polling units visited and several others across the 259 units were the rerun took place in the state.
Unconfirmed reports further had it that one of the Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from Nkwerre LGA of the state was allegedly abducted by thugs believed to be acting for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but was freed following timely intervention of men of the police.

It was further gathered that the election suffered low voter turnout in some areas while the restriction of movement was not stringently enforced as markets and shops in parts of the states visited were open for business despite heavy presence of uniformed men