Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, the outgoing Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo State has said the state has the least number of registrants in the ongoing voters registration exercise.
Ezeonu who will be bowing out as Imo REC is one of 20 resident electoral commissioners whose tenure would end by August.
Speaking at a valedictory news briefing in Owerri, the state capital, Ezeonu said though Imo still parades the least number of newly registered voters, there has been tremendous improvement in turnout of registrants in the State.
According to him in the first two quarters of the exercise which lasted from June to December 2021, the State registered a total of 16,511 out of which 7,145 (43.3%) were found to be invalid, meaning that they had registered previously (sometime between 2011 and 2018), leaving with a balance of 9,366 valid registration.
He said, “The last data published on 27th June show that the total number of registrants in the State is now 97,371. This figure is just for new registrants alone and excludes those who have applied for review, transfer of polling units or replacement of Permanent Voters Card (PVC).”
He appealed to those who have registered before not to do so again, adding that contrary to rumours, the PVC does not expire.
“If you have lost your PVC, be honest enough to say so rather than attempting a fresh registration as that will be fruitless.:”
He also reminded the electorates that it is an electoral offence to attempt multiple registration.
Ezeonu, who lauded the staff of the commission and the media for the cooperation rendered to him, asked them to give the sane cooperation to his successor.
