National commissioners to supervise Imo polls

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5. May 2011

National commissioners to supervise Imo polls

National commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be in charge of the crucial supplementary governorship elections holding on Friday in Imo State, officials of the electoral commission said yesterday. The final elections, holding in four local government areas of the state, is seen as a key test for the commission as it rounds up the 2011 general elections. Opposition parties had earlier threatened to pull out of the contest, which mostly pitches incumbent governor Ikedi Ohakim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against frontrunner, Rochas Okorocha, unless the commission tightened its supervision of the exercise.

Mr Okorocha was ahead in the main elections held last week Tuesday, and his party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), insisted he be declared the winner pending the outcome of elections in the four local government areas.

Ahead of the polls, the APGA said it would only participate in the rescheduled polls on the condition that state indigenes, which it accused of colluding with the state governor, were removed from polling and collation duties.