LoudNewsToday reports that voting ended at exactly 2p.m, and counting of votes immediately commenced in the polling units where accreditation and voting commenced between 8a.m and 9a.m on Saturday.
It reports that INEC has 4,608 polling units across the 21 local governments areas.
In most polling units located in Orumba, North and South, Aguata, Awka South and Awka North local government areas, counting of votes was still in progress as at 2.30pm.
Mr Samuel Itodo, the Executive Director, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA), told the News Agency of Nigeria that materials and personnel arrived various polling units late. Itodo said 28 per cent of polling units recorded arrival of materials and personnel as at 7.30 a.m., except im Awka North and Awka South Local Government Areas where materials and personnel arrive before 7.30 a.m.
“Apparently, as at 10 a.m., 75 per cent of the polling units were opened while voting started about 30 minutes later.
“That is disturbing but as at 12 noon, 92 per cent of polling units were opened.
“We asked INEC to extend the deadline from 2 p.m to 4 p.m to enable people vote,” Itodo said.
The executive director also said there were issues with card readers being unable to authenticate finger prints, saying the development raised issue of integrity of the exercise. According to him, it is too premature to make statements on voter turnout.
”We are still studying our data so as to make official statement on that later.”
On his part, Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, Chairman, Partners for Electoral Reform, said voting started late, especially in Ogbaru Local Government Area.
Nwagwu said security agents have been civil and professional in their conduct, adding also that voters have equally behaved themselves. However, he said there were high cases of “vote buying” recorded in some parts of the state.
Mr Harry Putker, an observer with the Embassy of Netherlands, said his group would make its observations public at a later date, which would include some minor challenges which INEC needed to work on.
Another observer group, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Election Working Group told newsmen in Onitsha that the exercise began on a good note as the process started early with arrival of materials.
“All the materials, including ballot boxes, card readers, result sheets are intact and working in good condition,” Coordinator of the group, Mr Adewale Ademola, said.
He also commended the presence of security personnel, saying “everything went orderly and was transparent”.
Full Updates:
Anambra election – Strong politicians from different political parties, Saturday, won their respective polling units in the Anamber governorship election.
At Nnewi, home of the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, despite his son’s defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA won Umudim central school polling units. Result from the three polling units in the primary school indicated that APGA scored 261 votes, APC 98 and PDP 80.
Emeka Ojukwu Jnr was absent at the polling unit, but late Ojukwu’s widow, Bianca Ojukwu was present at the venue and said she would follow the result of the election to its conclusion. Posters of APC candidate, Tony Nwoye, his running mate, Ikedife with Ojukwu’s picture inserted, littered in front of Ojukwu’s family house in Nnewi.
At Aguluzoigbo in Aniocha LGA, home of the former National Chairman of the Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, in the votes counted at Uzuanunu polling unit in Aguluzoigbo ward, APGA scored 68, APC 8, PDP 1 and NCP 1. Umeh said he expects the votes margin to be wider in the rest polling units.
“We insist the INEC should maintain what happened here in the day time to also take place at night when the rest of the results will be collected,” Umeh said.
He commended INEC and security agents for maintaining peace, adding that the election went well, except the initial hitch when few card readers malfunctioned but were resolved.
At Ekwueme hall polling units of Ukpo, Dunukofia LGA, home of Prince Arthur Eze and the sponsor of the APC Candidate, the APC scored 409 votes, APGA 102 and PDP 15.
Minister for Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige in his home, Nkwoide ward 1 consolidated his stronghold with is party, the APC scoring 152, APGA 68 and PDP 22.
At the Nneofor hall polling unit in Otolo-Nnewi ward an agent of the APC allegedly attempted to snatch uncounted ballot box which brought about scuffle. The incident caused commotion as supporters of other political parties resisted the attempt. Security agents on the ground arrested the agent and sent him out of the polling unit.
Former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr Dozie Ikedife whose son is running mate in APC, commended the idea of voting immediately after accreditation.
He said it was an improvement in the electoral process, adding that even the IPOB threat did not work much. Ikedife alleged there were inducements in pockets of areas but gave the election a pass mark.
He however demanded that polling booths should be made more secrete that were experienced, noting that some people watched others vote.
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