Politics
SOME voters on Sunday at Unit O09, LEA Primary School, Lugbe protested over their inability to cast their votes in Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents, who covered the protest said the electorate were seen displaying their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and shouting ”We no go gree, we must vote”.
Some of the voters told NAN that the election was disrupted following alleged irregularities by some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday.
One of the voters, Mrs Caroline Iduwonyi, a lawyer who spoke with NAN, said it was unfortunate that an opportunity to get it right was being marred by some individuals.
Iduwonyi, who said she was at the polling unit as early as 7.00 a.m on Saturday said trouble started in the unit when voters were told that there was no ballot papers for the unit as at 10.00.a.m.
“The officials told us they came with wrong voting materials belonging to unit 008 and that we should be patient for them to get the correct materials for our unit.
“And when they came back at about 1.00 p.m., saying they had brought the correct materials, we queued up to vote.
“However, most of us started being agitated at about 2.00 p.m when nothing was happening, only for us to be informed that some officials were allegedly tomb printing ballot papers.
“This according to one of us, was happening inside one of the classrooms, even after we had been told that there was no voting materials for us earlier,” she said.
She added that this got some of them angry who eventually got into the classroom and disrupted the exercise.
“That was what happened, and there was commotion and the security operatives came in and chased everyone out.
”Today I did not go to church because I am here to vote,” she said.
Another voter, Mr Chukwuocha Norbert, while collaborating the development, described the situation as unfortunate, saying that about 5,000 voters were already on the queue on Saturday before the incidence.
”We came here as early as 7.00 a.m. and we were told write down our names while we waited patiently.
”The official in question was rescued and taken to the police station for safety by some good samaritans.
“”We are here to vote again today Sunday but no INEC official on ground,”he said.
On his part, Mr John Okon said that the electorate were yet to vote since on Saturday as they were chased away by some security operatives following a rancour that occured at the polling unit..
Okon said voters queued under the sun and rain to exercise their civic duty on Saturday but were denied access to vote.
” We are here again today to excercise our civic right as a citizen of Nigeria, thinking INEC will be here but up till now they are no where to be found, ”he said.
Mr Uchenna Ogar told NAN that he got to polling unit on Saturday before 7.00a.m., waited till INEC officials came at about noon, and delayed the election till evening before problem started.
Ogar said that security operatives came and sent people away so they could not vote on Saturday.
”Today, we are here again for the election and this almost 1 p.m., INEC officials are yet to come.
”No security operatives around to monitor the exercise. We are not going anywhere, we be here even if it cost us the whole day, we most vote because it is our right,”he said.
Another electorate, Mrs Henrietta Chudi said that electorate came out in several number for the election.
According to her, INEC came very late and refused to start the process by saying some of our names were not in their register.
She said this led to serious agitation from the voters.
”We were delayed here on Saturday for more than six hours and this got people angry.
”You cannot disfranchise all of us because it our right to vote, so we are going to stay here until we do that,”she said.
NAN reports that at time of filing the report, the gate of the school was locked as no INEC official or security operatives were sighted at the venue.
-(NAN)
KN
Tags: Caroline Iduwonyi INEC
