. Sen concerned over voter apathy

By Steve Oko

Governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, in Abia State, Professor Greg Ibe, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for commencing Saturday’s governorship and house of assembly elections on time.

Professor Ibe who voted at 10:45 am at his Nkwo Achara Market Square Polling unit, Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government, said he was happy that the exercise began earlier than it did during the February 25 presidential and national assembly polls.

He commended INEC for the improvement, although he complained of reported cases of vote buying, ballot paper snatching and harassment of voters in Obingwa, Ohafia South and Ugwunagbo areas of the state.

The APGA candidate expressed optimism he would win the polls.

Similarly, the Action Alliance, AA candidate Onyekwere Akym Uche (OAU), commended INEC for the early commencement of the polls.

The AA candidate who said he voted at his Ndiohia Amaba Ward 3 unit 008, however noted that the tour out was not quite impressive as at the time he casd

Uche who told our Correspondent that he voted as early as 9.20am, noted a significant improvement from what happened in the last election.

He expressed satisfaction with the proficiency of the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System , BVAS machines.

Commenting on the polls, governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Emma Nwaka, commended INEC for the peaceful conduct of the polls.

He, however, noted that the turnout was not very impressive unlike the previous elections although he argued that it might not be unconnected with the beginning farming season.

” I’ve done voting in the governorship/house of assembly at the polling unit in my Amokwe Amiyi village, Oguduasa, Isuikwuato. My accreditation by BVAS took place without delay.

“At the time I voted, turn out was poor but I believe that more people will still come out to exercise their franchise.

” Rainy season has just set in here. So, it’s my guess that some people have gone to the farm to do one or two things before coming out to vote. INEC officials were at the polling unit as early as 8.30 am which is a major improvement on the tardy arrangements that marred the February 25th Presidential/National Assembly elections.

I hope that the orderliness I observed at the time I voted will remain so till the end and that INEC will strictly abide by the laws of land and their own regulations which carry the force of a subsidiary legislation. If they had done so in the last elections Nigeria wouldn’t have been the laughing stock of the world.”