Over 200 students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, slumped while writing the post-UTME examination on Monday.
However, nobody died.
Some students, who spoke with The Nation yesterday, said the school authorities did not make proper arrangements for the examination.
One of them said: “The examination was not organised; computers were not enough and we were there from 8am till 9pm.
“Honestly, more than 200 students slumped due to exhaustion and the lecturers did not care, as they were busy pushing us from one place to another.
“Some who came from distant places without relations in Anambra slept in the open and the fear is that no one knows if any of the slumped students died,” she said.
But the Director of Information and Public Relations, Emmanuel Ojukwu debunked the allegations.
He said only three students slumped and they were resuscitated at the school’s clinic.
Ojukwu said one of the victims was asthmatic and didn’t come with her medication. The second victim was in an accident earlier while the third was hungry.
He added that the school had 500 computers, while the examinations ended by 5pm.
“What we did was to allow those already screened to finish their exams while the others were told to come back on Friday.
“On Monday, we had 11,000 students; 8,200 wrote the exam and others will write theirs later.
“The place was organised and the school is equal to the task,” Ojukwu said.
Unless the Oyo State Government intervenes in the lingering chieftaincy tussle rocking the Ago-Are community in the Atisbo Local Government Area with a view to finding lasting solution, the agrarian and peaceful community in Oke-Ogun area may soon be consumed by violence.
Tension has already enveloped the town, as youths and other interest groups, including the royal families are threatening fire and brimstones should the king- makers go ahead in their strange selection of a successor to the vacant throne, which they described as “unacceptable and a negation of age long tradition in the selection process’’.
The former community head, Aare of Ago-Are, the late Oba Jubril Oyesiji Oladoke, joined his ancestors in May this year after about 39 years of peaceful reign.
Southwest Report reliably gathered that barely two months after the death of the late ruler, a family meeting of Edu Ruling House which is to produce the next king, was convened where 15 candidates emerged to contest for the vacant stool.
Names of interested candidates were later presented to the community kingmakers for thorough screening through Ifa Oracle divination and in line with the age long customs and traditions.
It was learnt that rather than allowing age long traditional status quo in the process of selecting a new monarch for the community to remain, the kingmakers allegedly opted for orthodox religious method.
The community has eight kingmakers through declaration made under section 4(2) of the Chieftaincy Law of 1957. Two of the kingmakers had died, thus remaining six.
The six kingmakers, four Christians and two Muslims were alleged to have jettisoned traditional selection method, secretly picked two among the contesting candidates and voted along religious affiliations.
At the end of the secret election, a Christian candidate was said to have emerged victorious.
Competent source hinted that the decision of the lawmakers could not be communicated to the people for fear of unpleasant reactions.
The strange approach to selection of new monarch by the kingmakers elicited anger and uproar from indigenes, including the remaining 14 candidates who contested for the throne.
The royal candidates led by Prince Taoheed Oyekola Olakanla, told journalists at a briefing that “it is unfortunate that the kingmakers allowed self-centredness and greed to prevail over Ago-Are traditions and customs. Since July 7, this year that the kingmakers conducted their strange, kangaroo, alien and unlawful election to select another Oba, why has it been difficult for them to make the pronouncement? “All the contesting candidates who are also princes vehemently rejected the selection process. We have also forwarded our grievances to the appropriate authorities, notably the state government and the Alaafin of Oyo, who is the consenting authority and permanent Chairman, Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs.”
In a related development, other five princes from the same ruling house kicked against what they referred to as “unlawful exclusion of their vested rights’’.
While denying any knowledge of the steps taken by both the ruling house and the kingmakers to select a new monarch, they noted that such steps were not made public as required by law.
Spokesman for the aggrieved princes, Semiu Bolaji Opeloyeru said: “We find it incomprehensible and unacceptable the activities of both the ruling house and the kingmakers.”
They added that their rights to seek appointment into the revered stool of Aare of Ago-Are has been jeopardised by the duo who have refused to adhere to all relevant laws regulating their conduct in this regards.
The princes, therefore, demanded outright cancellation of the nominations and election of any candidate, to ensure due process of law and to provide avenue for them to realise their aim of contesting for the vacant stool as provided under the law.
The ruling house, apparently feeling the heat ordered the cancellation of the initial selection and directed the kingmakers to follow laid down rules and regulations in order to ensure strict compliance with the age long traditions as well as to ensure the participation of all interested candidates.
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, was said to have intervened and allegedly warned the kingmakers against neglect of their communal heritage in the name of orthodox religion, especially on the selection of successor to the vacant stool.
He said any attempt to circumvent the age long traditions and denounce the legacies of their forefathers to the dustbin of history, rather than preserving and recognising them always leads to crises and disharmony.
Meanwhile, youths, members of the royal family and other interest groups in the community have raised the alarm over strange movements by a group known as Oke-Ogun Professionals to create disharmony and cause violence, through distortion of historical facts about the community’s chieftaincy affairs.
Prince Oyewole
A press release jointly signed by Princes Salam Kazeem Oyewole and Olalekan Olaniyonu of the Edu Ruling House in Ago-Are community and made available to Southwest Report said the faceless Oke-Ogun Professionals is not speaking the minds of the royal family in particular and the Ago-Are community in general, let alone competent to act as the community’s mouthpiece.
It further stated that the community has a well-organised vibrant Native Assembly, the Ifelodun Ago-Are Parapo that will not delegate its duty to others.
It added, however, that it is not surprising to the Royal Family to see such a group parading itself as mouthpiece of the ruling house at this critical period when it has
called for cancellation of the selection of Prince Abodurin Kofoworola, which was carried out through dishonesty and abuse of power, which the secretary-general of the unknown and faceless group regards as due process.
“Indeed, more and other actions by selfish interest groups are expected by the Royal Family which is fully aware of the desperation of sponsored mischievous elements in the society striving to determine weak and unsuitable leadership and a bleak future for Ago-Are by misleading and cajoling the general public and authorities to accept the culture of immorality and impunity demonstrated by the six kingmakers who betrayed the throne and their privileged position by jettisoning age long tradition which stipulated the processes for appointing the Aare of Ago-Are land,” the release said.
Prince Olaniyonu
Continuing, the release said: “Ago-Are is not a club house or an association where members conduct simple majority vote to determine their leaders. It is also not a political party whose leadership must come through party politics. Let the defenders of the wrongfully selected candidate and the six kingmakers tell the world anyone out of the past 13 paramount rulers in Ago-Are history that was so enthroned; from Ajibesin Adensile down to the immediate past Oba.
“The media campaign to pressurise our highly respected monarch Iku Baba Yeye the Alaafin of Oyo and Oyo State Government to approve the fraudulent selection process of the candidate in question and to suppress the truth started weeks ago with posts on Facebook and publications in some newspapers. The blatant lies went further that all the candidates signed a document accepting the wrongful selection of Prince Kofoworola. We have already challenged the entire six kingmakers to show proof of that claim.
“For avoidance of doubt, the Ago-Are customs and traditions which have been duly supported by the Chieftaincy Declarations never put the selection of a candidate for the throne of the Aare of Ago-Are land at the whims and caprices of the kingmakers.
“Checks and balances are incorporated in the selection process, starting with family meetings of the Edu Royal Family for the purpose of nominating any number of candidates among the male descendants.”
It, therefore, advised the Oke-Ogun Professionals to go for enlightenment on the traditional process of appointing the Aare of Ago-Are land and indeed recognised obas in Yoruba land.
THE crisis rocking the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) Rumuolumini, Port Harcourt, over the suspension of Professor Dele Osahogulu, a director in the Information Technology unit of the ivory tower, has taken a new dimension. Rumours are making the rounds in the university that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rosemund Dienye Green-Osahogulu, may be fired by the Rivers state government.
Prof Green-Osahogulu
The speculations are coming on the heels of the calls by the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) IAUE chapter, for the head of Prof Green-Osahogulu over the suspension of their member, who is the vice chancellor’s estranged husband.
The Nation also learnt that a letter was sent by ASUU to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, seeking his intervention in the crisis.
But, Mrs Green-Osahogulu has debunked the rumour of being asked to resign. In a text message to our reporter, she said: “Please ask those who said a resignation letter has been given to me to show the letter.”
On Tuesday, August 4, following the crisis, ASUU members were chased out of the venue of their meeting by security personnel on the order of the vice-chancellor. The meeting, which was later held at the open field of the university, was to call on Mrs Green-Osahogulu to resign over what the union described as a “ridicule on the image of the university”.
“We have resolved that in view of the spate of ugly, scandalous and disturbing events unfolding in the university involving the vice chancellor, the union wishes to write to the vice chancellor to honourably resign her position as the vice chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education Port Harcourt due to the following reasons: faked kidnapped saga, extortion of students, inflated price of the purchase of liaison office in Abuja, and abuse of due process in disciplinary issues,” ASUU stated in a letter after the meeting.
According to sources, the crisis began as a poorly-managed matrimonial issue between Prof Dele Osahogulu and his wife, Prof Green-Osahogulu, making the duo to wash their dirty linen in public.
Mrs Green-Osahogulu was reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen and was later released to the family after eight days in the kidnappers’ den. Shortly afterwards, there was a scandal over whether she was kidnapped. The development caused a division among workers in the university. Although Prof Green-Osahogulu claimed she was kidnapped in June 18 and released on 27 of same month, news of her kidnap was not made public until last month.
However, what was supposed to be an internal affair between Prof Green-Osahogulu and her husband, Dele Osahogulu became a universiy affair when Osahogulu (Dele) was suspended for three months without pay.
Osahogulu, a don and head of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) unit, was accused of granting an interview to a state-based local tabloid, alleging that his wife’s kidnap was stage-managed.
Osahogulu has since denied the report.
Similarly, the Rivers State Police Command, which earlier confirmed the kidnapping, suddenly made a U-turn. The command’s Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Ahmad Mohammad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told The Nation the case “is under investigation.”
“The case of the alleged kidnapping of the VC of IAUE is still being investigated as such. Due to recent revelations, it is only a logical conclusion of the investigation that will determine it to be such or otherwise,” Mohammad said.
But Osahogulu’s suspension has deepened the face-off between ASUU and some workers loyal to the vice chancellor. ASUU-IAUE Chairman Dr Ugochuchu Agi, described the suspension as an abuse of power by the management. Agi said Osahogulu remains innocent until a court of law rules otherwise.
Dr. Agi
Agi was later invited by the management and, subsequently, quizzed by security personnel for speaking to the press on the matter.
“Look, we are not in support of the suspension as a union,” Agi told our reporter. “The suspension of our member is an irresponsible application of power. You don’t suspend somebody and take away his salaries for three months because of mere allegation.”
Agi continued: “I was expecting the university authority to have set up a panel to investigate the allegations before taking such a hasty decision. We did not want to be thrown into controversy; we know that our member has fallen victim of kidnapping saga and it is regrettable that all these things are happening without due process.
“There is a rumour that the union suspended him (Dele Osahogulu). It is the university authority and not ASUU. We, as a union, are against such suspension because there must a process before a decision could be taken.”
Agi’s reaction irked the management which decided to respond via another briefing.
At the event, which took place at the Saint John campus of the university, Mrs Green-Osahogulu, said her estranged husband had admitted before the school management some of the allegations levelled against him.
She said: “Prof Dele Osahogulu was given a query and he denied the said statement published on the local newspaper. He even disowned the newspaper and said that he didn’t make statements even on telephone to any reporter.
“Sequel to the reply, the university management invited Prof Osahogulu to a meeting. While fielding questions from members of the management, he substantially admitted the contents of the said publication but attributed it to his state of mind at the time.
“The university management found the conduct of Prof Osahogulu scandalous, disgraceful and prejudicial to the integrity of the Office of the Vice Chancellor and the reputation of the university. The university authority, therefore, placed him on three-month suspension in the first instance while investigation into other issues raised in the publication is ongoing.”
Initially, Osahogulu denied granting an interview. He also told our reporter of his denial of the interview credited to him in a local medium.
He said allegations against him by his wife were to tarnish his image, urging the reporter to ascertain the true position of things.
An SMS Osahogulu sent to our reporter reads thus: “My silence on this matter is not admittance; it is in compliance with the IAUE rules and regulations that forbid the granting of press interview by staff.
“The press is the watchdog of the society. If you are convinced that the vice chancellor is deliberately precluding public awareness on my own account, the media should then defend the oppressed and poor folk like me.”
On visiting the university, the reporter observed that the scandal has polarised workers, particularly at the management level. Investigation also showed that certain elements appeared to be fuelling the scandal with the aim of taking over the vice chancellor’s job.
Some workers opposed to the vice chancellor, who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity, insisted that her kidnap saga was still unconfirmed. They said the vice chancellor had been calling for the heads of those speaking the truth.
“The vice chancellor is over zealous. You need to see her talking to men during management meetings. She is not popular in this university.The question should be: ‘How many students and lecturers sympathised with her purported kidnap? A woman who cannot respect the husband that married her, who do you think she will respect?” the source said.
Another worker added:”Whether the vice chancellor’s kidnap was stage-managed or not, she shouldn’t have petitioned her husband. As the head of the university, it was wrong of her to support the suspension of Dele without setting up a panel to investigate the allegations. She is victimising workers unnecessarily. I suspect her next target will be the ASUU chairman.”
Those sympathetic to Prof Green-Osahogulu, but did not wish to be mentioned, justified the suspension.
One of them said calling Mrs Green-Osahogulu names, despite her achievement in the university, was to intimidate her because she is a woman.
“You are a journalist, go and investigate her (vice chancellor’s) achievement in the school; some people are scheming to take over her job using the scandal. She was not the one that suspended Prof Dele, it was the authority. The management invited Dele and after questioning him took the decision because of his nonchalant behaviour; so why call the vice chancellor name?”
Students who also reacted to the issue pleaded anonymity.
A source in the IAUE Students’ Union said: “Our position is that it is regrettable that this university is now being mocked because of one allegation or the other. We are really disappointed with the authority over this. You can imagine the kind of shameful act displayed the last time ASUU was having their meeting, and the vice chancellor ordered that they be sent out of the hall. It is that bad.”
Efforts to get the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) and Police to speak further on the matter were futile. But a source from the DSS, who did not want to be named, said workers who were involved in the incident had been invited and grilled.
Tension has gripped the Ago Are community in Atisbo local government area of Oyo State following controversy over the selection of a new traditional ruler for the town.
Youths and some interest groups in the agrarian community, which is in the Oke Ogun zone of the state, are poised for a showdown with the kingmakers following the selection of the new king, which they described as “unacceptable and a negation of the town’s age-long tradition.”
The last Aare of Ago Are, Oba Jubril Oyesiji Oladoke, passed on in May this year after about 39 years on the throne.
It was gathered that barely a month after the demise of the late monarch, a family meeting of the next ruling house, known as Edu, was convened where 15 candidates reportedly emerged to contest for the vacant stool.
Names of interested candidates were later presented to the community kingmakers for thorough screening through Ifa oracle divination and in line with the age-long customs and tradition.
Sources disclosed that rather than adopt the age-long method in the process of picking a new monarch for the community, the kingmakers allegedly opted for orthodox religious method.
The community has eight kingmakers through declaration made under Section 4(2) of the Chiefs Law of 1957. Two of the kingmakers had died, thus remaining six.
The six kingmakers, four Christians and two Moslems, were alleged to have jettisoned the traditional selection method, secretly picked two among the contesting candidates and voted along religious affiliations.
At the end of the secret election, a Christian candidate was said to have emerged victorious.
But fearing a backlash from the people, the kingmakers allegedly refused to make their decision public.
Predictably, the strange approach to the selection of a new monarch elicited anger and uproar from a cross section of indigenes, including the 14 candidates who contested for the throne.
Addressing reporters on behalf of other candidates, Prince Taoheed Oyekola Olakanla said: “It is unfortunate that the kingmakers allowed self-centeredness and greed to prevail over Ago Are tradition and customs. Since July 7 this year that the kingmakers conducted their strange, kangaroo, alien and unlawful election to select another Oba, why has it been difficult for them to make the pronouncement?
“All the contesting candidates who are also Princes vehemently rejected the selection process. We have also forwarded our grievances to the appropriate authorities, notably the state government and the Alaafin of Oyo, who is the consenting authority and Permanent Chairman, Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs.”
In a related development, another five Princes from the same ruling house are also alleging the “unlawful exclusion of their vested rights.”
While denying any knowledge of the steps taken by both the ruling house and the kingmakers to select a new monarch, they noted that such steps were not made public as required by law.
Spokesman for the aggrieved princes, Semiu Bolaji Opeloyeru, said, “We find it incomprehensible and unacceptable the activities of both the ruling house and the kingmakers,” adding that “their rights to contest for the vacant stool has been jeopardised by those who have refused to adhere to relevant laws.”
They therefore demanded for the outright cancellation of the nominations and election of any candidate in order to ensure due process of law and to provide a level playing field for all contestants.
There was tension on the streets of Awka, capital of Anambra State yesterday, following a clash between operatives of the Anambra Traffic Management Agency (ATMA) and members of Aroma Traders Owners Association (ATOA).
The government Agency officials defied the Federal Government public holidays to extort money from motorists.
Some motorists who refused to play ball by refusing bribe the traffic officers had their vehicles towed away by the traffic officers.
The action of the traffic officers angered some motorists and business owners, who protested the agency’s action.
Following the resistance, the ATMA officials called for reinforcements, leading to exchange of blows by the parties.
The traffic officers operated in an all yellow Hilux jeep, with the inscription: Anambra Traffic Management Agency 003.
One of the agency’s official, who pleaded anonymity, accused members of the business owners association of breaking into the office of the traffic agency to retrieve a vehicle seized by the agency, describing such action as an offence.
Spokesperson of the traders union told the The Nation that the traffic officials were fond of disrupting business activities in the area.
The Agency was set up by former Governor Peter Obi as part of the efforts to decongest roads in towns in the state.
As at the time of filling this report, the business owners, numbering over 150, had moved to the B- Division Police office in Awka to register their protest.
The business owners are appealing to Governor Willie Obiano to provide a parking lot for their customers in order to end what they describes the continued harassments of the agency officials.
There is tension in Ejigbo, the headquarters of Ejigbo Local Government of Osun State over the proposed sale of the building accommodating a new generation bank.
Following incessant robberies, the bank management relocated the branch about two years ago to Ede, a community which is 25 kilometres away from the town.
Since the relocation, residents have been complaining of harrowing banking experience.
Tension started when residents said they found out that the bank was going to sell the building.
At the weekend, the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode Oyesosin, addressed a briefing where he told the reporters that the people were going to frustrate the bank’s plan.
According to him, the town was against sale of the property because the land on which the building was built was never sold to the bank.
Oba Oyesosin said in 1980 a part of the palace was carved out and given to a bank, which later metamorphosed to the new generation bank after the recapitalisation of the banking industry.
The monarch challenged the bank to produce the land sales agreement and documents to prove if the land was ever sold to it.
He said: “For more than 20 years, the first bank operated the branch without any robbery attack, until the merger and acquisition took place and the new generation bank took over.
“I gave the land from the parcel of land belonging to the palace.
“In fact, some structures had to give way without compensation to anybody before we could carve out a portion of the land for the bank.
“In fact, a sizable part of the palace ground was affected.”
The monarch, who said the proposed sale of the land, was for selfish reasons gave out the letter he wrote to the bank management to complain about the matter.
The letter reads: “The space given out is mainly for building of a bank. If (the space) is sold, this will defeat the original purpose we had for the land.”
The monarch said he released the land “purely for banking services bearing in mind its inherent social, economic and commercial benefits to my people”.
He, therefore, advised the management of the bank to stop the transaction on the land in the overriding interest of Ejigbo.
Though there are two microfinance banks in Ejigbo, the bank is the only commercial bank in the town.
The recently elected local government chairmen and councillors in Rivers State yesterday warned that alleged desperation by Governor Nyesom Wike to dissolve the councils is not in the best interest of the state.
The 23 council chairmen, operating under the aegis of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers State chapter, said the governor would be violating the law of the land should he make good his threat to dissolve the councils at all cost.
A high court in the state has already restrained the governor from moving against the councils, but tension has heightened in the state following speculations that the Governor is keen on having his own supporters in control of the local governments which are currently being manned by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Mayor of Port Harcourt and ALGON Chairman, Chimbiko Akarolo, insisted yesterday that Wike cannot bend the law to remove them from office.
He said the way Wike is going about the annulment of their election is capable of sparking a breakdown of law and order in the state.
Akarolo urged President Muhammadu Buhari and other well meaning Nigerians to intervene before the matter gets out of hand.
“To tell you how desperate Wike is, he has already selected caretaker committee chairmen to replace us. We were democratically elected by our people and any action against the legitimate will of the people is unjust,” he told The Nation in Port Harcourt.
He added: “Rivers people cannot afford to experience bloodshed like the sham called the governorship election in the state.”
Chairman, Emohua Local Government, Lucky Worluh asked Wike to respect the law as the case is already in court and accused the governor of going all out to obliterate the achievements of his predecessor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.
There was tension in Ogbe-Ijoh, headquarters of Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State yesterday, following a plot by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) dominated House of Assembly to impeach an All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmaker and former Deputy Majority Leader, Hon Thomas Emami.
Emami, representing Akpakpa Ward 6, caused uproar in the house when he dumped the ruling PDP.
It was gathered that trouble started when the leadership of the house moved to impeach him even though the clerk of House had read his resignation letter as well his defection notice on the floor of the house.
The embattled Emami, younger sibling of Chief Ayirimi Emami, leader of the PDP in the area, who had earlier defected to the APC, told The Nation in a telephone chat that the move was a cheeky plot to embarrass him.
He said: “My elder brother and well-known leader had earlier defected from the PDP to the APC and I cannot remain in the same party. It was based on this and the cogent reason he gave for his defection that I and other followers resolved to move to the APC with him.
“After my resignation from the PDP, I subsequently informed that House of my decision to step down as the Deputy Majority Leader, because my party, the APC, is in the minority in the House.
“It was very surprising to me this (Monday) morning when they came with TV crew and media men in an obvious propaganda to impeach me. My question is: how can you impeach someone who has already resigned? The interesting thing also is that they read my letter of resignation before moving to impeach me.”
Tension continues to mount between the Okoronwiro and Nwankwo –Eje clans in Umuhu, Umunebo village in Ufuma community in Orumba north local government area of Anambra state over false claims of land and economic trees in the area.
Before now, the Okoronwiro family had put up and advertorial in one of the newspapers in 2003 where they claimed joint ownership of the said items including property.
But in a counter claim, the Nwankwo-Eje family, led by Geoffrey E Nwankwo, had debunked ownership by the former, adding that such claim should be retracted.
He warned that any member of the public who had anything to do with such land, economic trees and other property in Umuhu, Umunebo village without consulting the Nwankwo-Eje Family would have him or herself to blame.
He maintained that any of such transactions shall be deemed null and void and of no consequence.
Nwankwo noted that the family historically, were the occupants and direct descendants of Umuhuagorom clan or dynasty, adding that no other in Umunebo village of Uvumegbenadiji Ufuma.
Furthermore, he claimed that the Okoronwiro descendants were incorporated in Umuhu dynasty by the Nwankwo-Eje, adding that the terms reached in the years had been abandoned.
He said that the said article was void in associating Nwankwo-Eje family with any pre-occupation and indiscriminate land deal or sale of economic trees that were jointly owned by both families.
Abia governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has said the tension in the state before yesterday’s re-run governorship election was not natural.
Speaking to newsmen at Row May Hotel in Aba, yesterday, Ikpeazu explained that if the results of the governorship election conducted on April 11, 2015 had been declared, there would have been no tension in the state.
He, however, expressed the hope that “the tension will diffuse naturally because that tension was created, it was not natural; it was artificial.”
The candidate, who expressed confidence that he will win the election, also advised political aspirants to be less desperate to reduce tension in the polity.
Meanwhile, voter turnout was generally low apart from a few polling units, which recorded appreciable voters.
As early as 8.30am, accreditation had started in some units.
Other units which started late commenced accreditation around 9 am in Aba area.
Voting was peaceful and orderly in the units monitored in Aba North, Aba South, Osisioma and Ugwunagbo local governments.
