The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Imo State, Gabriel Ada, has debunked rumours in the state that the commission had commenced distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) to people who have not collected ahead of the Imo supplementary elections slated for April 25.

This move is coming after the All Progressives Congress in the state had called on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, to immediately redeploy the Imo REC ahead of the supplementary elections. They accused him of partisanship and flouting INEC guidelines by directing people to collect PVCs.

The REC was also accused of refusing to give the accurate number of registered voters and PVC collected in those areas where elections will hold.

At a briefing in Owerri, the Director General of Rochas Campaign Organisation, Alaribe Ihekwuemere, called on INEC chairman to, as a matter of urgency, redeploy the REC.

In a swift response, the REC said he was mis-interpreted.

He said the commission had not directed anybody to collect PVCs ahead of the supplementary elections in the state. “The commission, as an unbiased umpire, remains committed in conducting free, fair and credible elections in the state”.

He further explained that due to some miscalculations, which is not intentional, the commission failed to give accurate figure for the number of registered voters in the affected areas. Presently, the number of registered voters in the area is 146,535 and the commission is still compiling numbers of PVCs collected in the area and will be made public before the election, he said.

The supplementary elections will hold in over 250 polling units in 23 Local Government Area across the state.

As Imo indigenes prepare ahead of the elections already fixed for April 25, it is hoped that INEC, security operatives and all stakeholders will do their best to ensure violence-free and credible elections in the state.