The kidnapping of several election officials has led to the postponement of the gubernatorial and state assembly elections being held in the Ideato North local government area of Imo state, THE WHISTLE has been informed.
The incident, which raised serious concerns about the safety of election officials and the integrity of the electoral process, saw the kidnapping of 19 INEC ad-hoc staff on Saturday morning.
Although security agents eventually rescued the officials, THE WHISTLE deduced that the attackers took materials intended for the elections.
An official who requested anonymity said THE WHISTLE that the development left INEC in the state with no choice but to suspend voting in the affected LGA.
According to the source, officials were kidnapped from their polling stations in remote areas just hours after voting officially began.
The gunmen reportedly overpowered and forced the officers into the waiting vehicles before speeding off, sending shock waves through the entire area.
Several attempts to get a reaction from INEC spokesman Festus Okoye were unsuccessful as his phone rang with no response.
More updates to follow…
