Voters Apathy As Anambra Holds Supplementary Election

Officials of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission and materials arrived early today, some as early as 6.00 a.m, at the various polling centres in Anambra state, for the supplementary election.

But all they met was an apathetic voting populace.

The polls, scheduled for 210 units recorded low turn-out of voters in most of the polling units.

Despite the thin line of voters, heavy security presence and restriction of movement, especially in Idemili North Local Government Area, was noticed.

The Idemili North Local council is the stronghold of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Sen. Chris Ngige, who along with the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Tony Nwoye, his Labour Party counterpart, Mr Ifeanyi Ubah said that they would boycott the poll.

Today at Chukwura Primary School one, polling Unit 006 in Abatete, in the council area, 42 voters out of 382 that registered had been accredited as at 12:00 noon.

Also at Chukwura Primary School two, polling unit 007, only 16 registered voters were accredited out of 123 as at the same period.

An observer with the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Mr John Chukwuma, who was at the polling units, told NAN that the apathy could be due to inadequate voter sensitisation in the area.

He, however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its “timely mobilisation of materials and commencement of the exercise”.

At Ogidi Town Hall one and two, units 009, 010 and 021, only 45 voters were accredited out of 372 as at 11:30 a.m.

At Igweamaka Primary school polling unit 016, in Anaocha Local Governemnt Area, which had 276 registered voters, officials of INEC arrived at the unit as early as 6:30 a.m. for the polls.

The electoral officer in-charge of the area, Mrs Patricia Ndibe, said accreditation of voters began at exactly 8 a.m., adding that as at 10 a.m., only 50 voters had been accredited.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, only the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) had its agent at the polling booth.

However, the local council chairman of APC, who simply identified himself as Mr Egbobe, said he was at the station to observe and not to take part in the exercise “as directed by the party leadership”.

An accredited voter, Mrs. Florence Oraedum, said that the apathy could be due to people’s disenchantment with INEC on the conduct of the entire exercise.
Oraedum commended the presence of security personnel, which she said, would forestall any break down of law and order.

Culled From News Agency Of Nigeria