Umuahia – Saturday’s re-run elections in Abia North Senatorial District and 10 state constituencies in Abia were characterised by low voter turnout, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
NAN correspondents, who monitored the exercise, report that, although electoral materials arrived at the polling centres as early as 7am, voting could not start until about 9.30, when eligible voters turned up to cast their votes.
In most of the polling centres visited there were only few eligible voters that turned up for the polls.
A cross-section of the people who spoke on the development attributed the low turnout of voters to apathy, saying that many eligible voters lost interest in the election due to the outcome of the April general elections in the state.
A voter, Mr Ephraim Eke, told NAN that after the judgment of the Supreme Court on the election in the state, “many people vowed not to participate in future elections in the state.
“Many people said that they would never vote again in any election after the last elections because their votes did not count,” Eke said.
A politician, Mr Jude Udeachara, said that the low turnout of voters might not be unconnected with social events going on in different parts of the state, including marriages and burials, among others.
Udeachara, who voted at Ameke Ahia Unity Hall, Ward 7, Acharacle village in Isuikwuato LGA, said that although there was restriction of movement, many people of the area went to farm and other activities to fend for their families.
NAN reports that the exercise, which ended at about 2 pm, was however peaceful and orderly.
Meanwhile, the senatorial candidate of the Progressives Peoples Alliance in the re-run election, Chief Orji Kalu, expressed satisfaction with the role of the security agencies in the exercise in the area.
Speaking with newsmen after casting his vote at the Onuibina Primary School, Igbere Ward A, Polling Unit 002, Kalu commended the military personnel for their neutrality aganist what transpired in past elections.
“I must commend the military because they have shown neutrality unlike what happened in the past,” Orji said.
.
Kalu, who was Abia Governor between 1999 and 2007, described the use of the card reader for the election as “the best thing to happen in the nation’s democratic process.”
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Bourdex Onuoha, who voted at Ameke Ward 7, Agbo Court, Enuda High School, Abiriba in Ohafia LGA, expressed satisfaction with the electoral process.
Onuoha, however, decried the alleged attempted moves by some thugs to snatch electoral materials at Nkporo in Ohafia LGA on Friday.
They commended INEC for the organisation of the exercise, especially for the early distribution of materials to the polling units.
They also admitted that there was significant improvement in the use of the card reader in the election than the experience during the general election.
NAN reports that it took an average of five to 10 minutes to accredit a voter, while those who failed the card reader verification were made to use the incidence form. (NAN)
