Tag: voters

Despite the early arrival of electoral officials and materials, voters largely stayed away from the supplementary elections in Delta Central Senatorial district yesterday.

In Unit 9, 10 of Ward 9 and Unit 8, Ward 10 all in Ekpan community, the atmosphere was very calm.

In Effurun Ward 1, Unit 10, it was the same.

Electoral officers complained of poor turnout but added that there was no violence.

“We arrived here before 8:00am. The turnout is low but people are still coming for accreditation. The exercise is fair,” an electoral officer in Ekpan Ward 10, Unit 8 stated.

Agents of the three major political parties in the state, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) who spoke to newsmen assured that the exercise was going smoothly with materials were intact.

Speaking with journalists at his country home in Jesse, Ethiope West council area, Hon. Halims Agoda, the APC senatorial candidate, said he was optimistic he will emerge victorious.

He further called for more research work and proper handling of the card readers, which he said were not “not perfectly in order”.

Agoda noted that despite the deployment of card readers, outrageous figures were still collated for the recently concluded elections.

PDP’s candidate, Chief Ighoyota Amori, who spoke in his Mosogar residence, noted that although there was no supplementary election in his area, reports so far gathered from agents indicated that the process was “peaceful and favourable” to his party.

Lamenting the poor turnout of voters, he said: “We don’t blame the electorates because they have gone through two to three elections and are tired of coming out. The enthusiasm cannot be the same.”

AHEAD  of tonorrow’s governorship rerun in some parts of Abia State, an unidentified group yesterday warned the people not to vote for any candidate outside the interest of Ngwa nation.

  Though no one has claimed responsibility, sources said the group placed coffins at strategic places, with the inscription: “Vote against Ngwa interest and die”, in Aba, the state’s commercial city.

On the coffin at Asa road by Post Office, the group threatened to resurrect kidnapping and insecurity.

The Nation gathered that residents have called on security agencies to fine out those behind such threats and prosecute them.

However, they said no intimidation would make them vote against the candidate of their choice.

Commissioner of Police Habila Joshiak ordered the Aba Area Commander, Peter Wagbara, and divisional police officers to ensure that those behind the act were arrested.

Parties have been trading words over the incident. The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) state Publicity Secretary Uchechi Ogbuka, in a telephone interview, said: “PDP is a party that is on ground and cannot do such a thing. It is the opposition, who knows they are failing, who will do such a thing.

“We are leading with over 83,000 votes and cannot do such”.

The Alex Otti Campaign Organisation (AOCO), in a statement, said it views the deposition of coffins in some parts of Aba and its environs as a despicable act by desperate and frustrated politicians who have failed to rig themselves into power.”

According to AOCO’s Director-General, Tony Enwereuzo, the shameful act was designed to discourage the supporters of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) from coming out to vote.

He urged the electorate to disregard the threats and come out tomorrow to vote as adequate security had been provided.

However, the Area Commander Peter Wagbara has ordered investigating officers to ensure that those behind the act were arrested.