TheCable

Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies on the conduct of the off-cycle gubernatorial election in the state.

Uzodinma spoke with reporters after voting at his polling unit in Oru east LGA of the state.

“The conduct is very impressive. I want to also commend INEC. I want to also commend the security agencies on the kind of deployment they have done and how orderly the environment has become contrary to the ugly expectation that the environment will not be there for voting to take place,” the governor said.

“INEC has risen to the occasion, and everything seems to be going well.”

Speaking on low turnout of voters, Uzodinma said he was optimistic that more people would come out to cast their votes.

“It is not over yet. I just came to vote, and other people will still come to vote. But what I have seen here compared to what happened here last time is very impressive and it is our hope that more people will come,” he added.

“My happiness is that we have the environment to conduct this election and people have come to exercise their franchise and voting is going on. I think INEC has done well and we must commend them.

“The security agencies have properly deployed. The entire space is manned and occupied and people are responding positively and behaving themselves, so I think Imo state is good.

“I want the whole world to now see that there is peace here and the election, contrary to that ugly expectation, is going on free, fair and very credible.”