Although there was an impressive turnout of voters for the controversial supplementary governorship election in Imo State yesterday, the exercise was nearly marred by late commencement of voting in some areas.
As of 5.p.m yesterday, election materials were yet to be distributed in Oguta Local Council Area, home to the PDP political kingpin Chief Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe. This led to protests by some voters who called for the cancellation of the election, alleging a plot to draw the election into the night to perfect rigging.
But, while Imo voters argued over the situation in Oguta, many cars, buses, trailers and their passengers were stranded at the security barricade on Onitsha road, which is the entry point to Mbaitoli Local Council Area, one of the areas where election took place, in line with the enforcement of election monitoring directive issued by the security agencies.
Over 10, 000 officer of the Nigerian police were deployed to Imo State for the election. But, there was little or no police presence in some polling units in the areas where election took place. For instance, The Guardian observed that there was no single police or security official at Polling Unit 008, Orodo Ward A, which is adjacent to an INEC office in Mbaitolu.
Earlier in the day between 5.20 a.m and 6.30a.m, the Nigeria Army apprehended over 120 suspected political thugs in Mbaitoli and Ngor/Okpala Councils, a development confirmed by Sagir Musa, a lieutenant colonel and assistant public relations unit of 81 Division.
The thugs were in buses from Onitsha and neighbouring states. Preliminary findings indicated that they had been documented and handed over to the Imo State police command.
As at 11.30am, accreditation was yet to commence in Oguta and Mbaitoli Council areas. It was, however, not certain why the election processes had not commenced.
Soldiers, in Oguta LGA, dispersed some male protesters. Barely 20 minutes later, a defiant crowd of women protesters, daring soldiers, marched to the INEC office in Oguta calling for the cancellation of the election.
The protesters, not minding heavy security presence besieged the office of INEC located in Oguta yesterday, urging INEC offices to discontinue with the conduct of supplementary governoship polls earlier scheduled in the area
They accused INEC personnel of being negligent and slow in displaying electoral materials to the area in good time. But, except for the late arrival of voting materials, election took place peacefully in other council areas including Ngor-Okpala, Mbaitoli, Ohaji-Egbema and Orji wards.
But, the supervising resident electoral commissioner in the state Aniedi Ikowa announced the withdrawal of election material earlier sent to Oguta for the election, saying he would take a decision what would become of the election in Oguta later. The announcement had not come as at press time.
The Guardain gatthered that some materials arrived the area in the late morning hours without official stamp.
Meanwhile unconfirmed report said two people were shot in Ngor-Okpala while another two persons believed to be thugs were apprehended on Thursday night.
Source: Protests, Late Arrival Of Materials Mar Imo SupplementaryElection (http://guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47140:protests-late-arrival-of-materials-mar-imo-supplementaryelection&catid=1:national&Itemid=559)
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