Labour Party candidate Achonu, wife vote at Omunumo PU in Imo

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Athan Achonu, and his wife, Aisha Achonu have cast their votes in the governorship election in Imo State.

Achonu, while, speaking shortly after casting his vote at his polling unit in the Omunumo community in the Ehime Mbano local Government Area of Imo State, commended INEC on the conduct of the polls.

He appealed to INEC to redeem its image by ensuring transparency and credibility throughout the voting process.

Achonu said at first the residents were feeling threatened by the unusual security movement across the community and the state.

He said, “We have never seen such numbers of soldiers and policemen before in our community.

“But we have tried to assure them they are here for their protection and the process,” he added.

Over two million voters are eligible to vote in Saturday’s governorship election.

A total of 18 political parties are presenting candidates in the ongoing election.

However, the election is considered a three-horse race between the incumbent governor, Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Achonu of LP.

According to INEC, there are 2,419,922 registered voters in the state, but only 2,318,919 of them who collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are eligible to vote in the election.

The number of registered voters is 6.5 per cent more than the 2,272,293 recorded for the previous 2019 elections in the southeastern state.