Oguta (Imo) – Due to unavailability of electoral materials in polling centres, Prof. Aniedi Ikoiwak,  the Supervisory  Resident Electoral Commissioner for  Imo supplementary polls,  has declared that no elections took place in Oguta Local Government Area  on Friday.

Ikoiwak spoke after monitoring the development   in company with the Deputy Inspector-General of  Police, Mrs I.U. Okoronkwo, the state’s Police Commissioner, Mr Tambari Mohammed and heads of other security agencies in the state.

He ordered the withdrawal of  electoral materials from the INEC office in the area, saying the commission would make an official pronouncement on the incident within 24 hours.

The polls, however, held  in three other council areas of  Mbaitoli, Ngor Okpuala, Ohaij/Egbema as well as  Orji ward in Owerri North Local Government Areas.

The situation was, however,  different in Oguta due to the unavailability of electoral materials.

It was gathered that electoral officers, who were to move the materials to polling centres in the 11 wards of  the councils, were prevented from doing so by political thugs.

The thugs were said to have claimed that elections had already taken place in the area on April 26 and that INEC had no right to conduct a fresh one in the area.

Thousands of eligible voters, who turned out to cast their votes at the various polling units, waited to no avail for electoral officers and materials for the exercise.

Their patience later gave way to frustration when at about 3.30 p.m.,  scores of young men became  aggressive and threatened to burn down the INEC office in the council headquarters.

The development reportedly caused a pandemonium in the area as the electoral officials, including returning officers deployed to the area from outside the state, fled.

The fleeing officials were, however, intercepted by the motorcade of the supervisory REC and his team of security operatives and directed to join the long motorcade back to the area.

The irate youths, who were later joined by some women, alleged that ballot papers were being thumb-printed in the house of a prominent politician in the area.

They urged INEC not to accept or declare any results from the area, insisting that elections did not take place in Oguta.

INEC had earlier declared the April 26 governorship and House of Assembly elections in the four local government areas inconclusive and scheduled supplementary polls for Friday. (NAN)