Voter Apathy Mars Anambra LGA Polls

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines Sunday, January 12th, 2014

IGNATIUS OKPARA, Awka

The local government council election held in Anambra State on Saturday was characterised by voter apathy in some areas.

Though, the exercise was peaceful, but there were low turnout of voters in several polling units visited across the state, by our correspondent.

At Aguluzoigbo, the community of the National chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA, chief Victor Umeh, and other parts of Anaocha council area visited, it was noticed that there was large turnout of voters.

Chief Umeh, who cast his vote at about 11 am at Aguluzoigbo town hall, applauded the peaceful conduct of the election in several places.

He stressed that the successful conduct of the election has vindicated Governor Peter Obi, who he said was ready from the onset to conduct the council polls.

The APGA boss, noted that the Governor’s efforts were almost stalled by the same opposition politicians, who usually turned around to accuse Obi of not wanting to conduct the election.

Hear him: “I don’t know why APC is deceiving the people, they do not want to participate in the election, and they do not want others to participate. “They tried to stop the conduct of the election with a court injunction on Friday, but thank God for the judiciary who threw away their request”, he said.

Also speaking to newsmen, another APGA chieftain, and Special Adviser to Governor Peter Obi on Inter-Party matters, Chief Ben Obi also commended the governor for the peaceful conduct of the election.

He insisted that there was no hitches in the election, pointing out that all the allegation of late arrival of materials were fabricated by APC and other opposition parties.

“Ngige is the one instigating all these, he has asked his members not to participate in the election, but he secretly sent them for the election. He alleged.

“Here in my polling units, we all saw them casting their votes. If you don’t want to participate in an election, why not tell your people to keep away.” he asked

Meanwhile, there were reports of skirmishes in some polling units in some areas.

For instance, in Nnewi and Awka South, youths were alleged to have stopped the dispatching of electoral materials to the polling units blaming their action on non-availability of result sheets.

In Nnewi, APC members engaged their APGA opponennt in a scuffle, leading to the non distribution of electoral materials.

At Agulu Awka ward 5, Awka South council area, there was no election owing to non availability of voting materials and shortage of electoral staff.

Opposition parties had alleged that most Anambra state Independent Electoral Commission ANSIEC staff deployed to the wards for the election were card carrying members of the ruling APGA party in the state.

Some Councillorship candidates in the ward- Chinedu Agumadu of Progressive Peoples Alliance PPA, Azuka Wobu of Labour Party LP, Kenechukwu Muolookwu of Accord party, Onyii Ekwenugo of Peoples Democratic party PDP amongst others had mobilized their supporters to stop the election.

They insisted that the election materials would not be distributed to any polling unit until result sheets were shown to them.