By Steve Oko

The Abia state governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA Prof Gregory Ibe, has called for the extension of voting time from 2:00pm to 5:00pm  in Abia North following bitter complaints of late arrival of voting materials in the zone.

There have been complaints of non availability of both the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and voting materials in many parts of the state.

Some voters are stakeholders who spoke with our Correspondent had complained that up till 11 am voting was yet to commence in the various polling units as enthusiastic voters were still waiting the arrival of INEC officials and materials.

A pensioner, Deacon Sunday Chimezie who spoke with our Correspondent on phone said that INEC officials and materials had not arrived his polling unit at Odua Amaegbuato Nkpa in Bende LGA.

He regretted that since people trooped out in their numbers in the morning waiting patiently nobody had sighted INEC officials or material as at 12:55 when he spoke with Vanguard.

Another voter who called our Correspondent from Isiama in Elu Ohafia, said voting material had not come to any part of Ohafia as at 1:02 pm.

Worried by the development, Prof Ibe feared that many voters in the zone could be  disenfranchised.

The APGA called on INEC to extend the period of voting to make up for the lost time. 

” Information sourced by our situation room from the five Local Government Areas of Abia North confirmed that most polling units in Bende, Umunneochi, Ohafia, Arochukwu and here in Isuikwuato have not received voting materials at almost mid day today. 

“This is in spite of the fact that our people trooped out early in their numbers. I, therefore, want to use this medium to request INEC to promptly extend the accreditation and voting period to 5 pm so as not to disenfranchise our people from performing this important national assignment”.

Prof Ibe appealed to the people of Abia North not to be discouraged but to exercise patience while waiting for arrival of the materials in order to perform their constitutional duty.

 “I advice our people to refuse to be discouraged but to patiently wait for arrival of the materials to enable them vote in this crucial election”, he concluded.

“It will be recalled that one of the unique features introduced by INEC for the 2023 general election is conduct of voters accreditation for 6 hours only from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm.”