Some electorate in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that every vote counts in the ongoing governorship election in the state.

The voters made the call after casting their votes at the Agbola II polling unit in Awka South Local Government Area of the state on Saturday.

According to the electorate, only a transparent and credible electoral process can make the citizens participate fully in the electoral process, thereby preventing voter apathy.

Mr Patrick Ekweozor, a 69-year-old electorate from Umueri in the council area, expressed his belief in the electoral process, provided INEC would make every vote count.

“I believe in the electoral system if only INEC will make every vote count.

“If I don’t believe in the electoral process, there is no way I will leave my house as early as 8:37 a.m. to queue here to vote. We will vote here and defend our votes.

“Therefore, INEC must make our votes count. This is the only way we can believe in the government,” he said.

Another voter, Mr David Onyebuchi, a resident of Ezi Awka, said that the governorship election was a test case for the new INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, to conduct a free, fair and credible election.

Onyebuchi urged Amupitan to get it right by conducting an election that would make the electorate believe in the process.

On her own, Mrs Mathilda Okafor appealed to INEC to ensure that the efforts of the electorate did not go in vain.

“You can see that many of us left everything that we are doing today to vote.

“Therefore, INEC must make sure that we don’t regret our coming out to vote today,” she said. (NAN)