In anticipation of this Saturday's governorship election, security has been stepped up around the Imo State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission.In an attempt to hold onto his title as the state's most valuable citizen, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State will face off against 17 other contenders on November 11 in the state's governorship election.
The state capital's significant military presence was noted by The Guardian on Friday as residents went about their regular lives.
A portion of the Port Harcourt Road in Owerri, the state capital, which leads to the INEC office headquarters, has been blocked by security forces made up of police, army, navy, and Department of State Services (DSS) troops.
One of the South-East states that has experienced insecurity recently is Imo State.
Additionally, it is one of the three states taking part in Saturday's off-cycle election. Kogi and Bayelsa are the others.
Violence could taint the Imo ballot, according to a recent pre-election environment risk assessment conducted by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI).
The poll is under danger due to the actions of armed non-state actors, secessionists, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and the Eastern Security Network, according to KDI.
It implied that there was a good probability the election would be peaceful provided all parties implemented well-thought-out measures to prevent violence.
The research summary said, "This study explores the impact of the actions and activities of various state and non-state political actors on the electoral landscape in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States, recognising the wide-ranging implications of election security in Nigeria."
Head of Voter Education and Publicity Ben-Opara Emmanuella assured journalists on Friday that while INEC does not handle security on its own, heads of security agencies have assured them there is no need for concern over the state's security condition ahead of the election.
She stated that in order to make sure that INEC personnel, supplies, and voters were sufficiently guarded, the commission had hired members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Election Security (ICCES) during the previous three months.
"We have some flashpoint areas in this state, but again, INEC doesn't actually handle security on its own," the woman stated. The principal agency for security matters within ICCES is the police, and INEC is a component of it.
"The South East Joint Security Committee has its headquarters here in Imo for the purpose of the insecurity in the east, and we have engaged them in various meetings roughly twenty times in the last three months." The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 82 Division division, who is in charge of the Joint Task Force, is located just five to ten poles away from us. He has always assured us that there will be sufficient security.
"Here to make sure the election goes off without a hitch is the Deputy Inspector General of Police. Therefore, they have a responsibility to ensure our security. They have also persisted in telling us there won't be any issues, and we have taken their word for it.