Indications that fresh elections would soon hold at the various councils and wards in the Imo state have emerged as the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC, have declared intention to commence the exercise in few months time.
Even as the present elected chairmen and councilors are in court to ascertain their positions and tenure of office after the July 4, 2012 Appeal Court victory, ISIEC has concluded arrangements to go ahead with LG Elections.
According to a statement from ISIEC signed by the chairman, Barr T.O Akwari, the commission wishes to inform the public that “in preparation for the conduct of the Local Government Election, in Imo state, and in pursuant of Section 9 (1) (h) of Imo state of Nigeria Law No 14 of 2009 as amended, it shall undertake ward creation exercise”.
ISIEC in the release said that “the purpose of this exercise is to ascertain the viability or otherwise of the already created wards by ISIEC which was not used in the last LG elections, and to create new ones where necessary so as to bring the government closer to the people”.
The state electoral body went further to ask communities, and groups requesting for new wards to approach the commission’s headquarters after paying a stipulated amount for collection of forms.
While given interested communities till the end of this month for the application, ISIEC disclosed that date and time table for the Election will be announced in due course.