Mass boycott by 22 political parties out of 23 registered parties that took part in the election greeted the controversial supplementary governorship election in Anambra as about five percent of the voters participated in the election.
Not minding the official notification by political parties not to be involved in the November 30, 2013 supplementary election after they had called for cancellation of the November 16, 2013 election and conduct of a fresh poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixed yesterday for the conduct of the supplementary election for 113,113 voters whose votes were cancelled in 210 polling units across 16 local government areas of the state at the attempted main election of November 16, 2013.
Only APGA, it was gathered participated in the supplementary election, though scanty voters mostly shared their votes among APC, APGA and PDP in the poling units, with APC leading in most polling units.
The successes recorded by APC in Idemili North LG with the likelihood f the party coming second and possibly taking over the gvernorship mantle from APGA candidate, Willie Obiano if disqualified may not have gone down well with APGA with the result its stalwart, one Ifeanyi Ibezim was fingered in the snatching of result sheet to rewrite the result of St. Joseph Church, Abo-Abatete where APC’s Senator Cchris Ngige is leading with over 30 votes out of 54 votes cast.
The All Progressive Congress,APC, and its candidate,Senator Dr Chris Ngige,as well as his Peoples Democratic Party,PDP counterpart, candidate,Comrade Tony Nwoye and Dr Ifeanyi Ubah of the Labour Party had a joint press briefing announced their boycott of the exercise. Both the APC and Labour Party have threatened to sue INEC and other key interested parties to court over the way the election was conducted.
The supplementary election was designed for all the political parties that participated in the main election held on the 16th of November,covering the 113,113 registered voters,whose votes on the first day of the exercise were cancelled by INEC due to alleged irregularities.
Heavy presence of police, army and other security operatives were witnessed in routes and polling units at yesterday’s supplementary election as was the case with November 30, controversial election.
Investigations in major polling units in the state indicate that Idemili North LG with the highest polling units of 160, showed that by 12.30 p.m, when voting was expected to start, 80 percent of voters in most polling units were yet to arrive for the required accreditation to enable them vote.
The low turnout of voters was witnessed in Anambra West, Anambra East, Aguata,Ekwusigo, Ihiala, Anaocha,Idemili North,Idemili South, Onitsha North, Onitsha South and other areas where the election did not take place last time.
At the polling unit in Igweamaka Primary School, Agulu-Uzoigbo, Anaocha LG,with 276 registered voters, only about 48 persons were accredited as at 11.30 am, one hour to commencement of voting which was largely smooth.
Speaking to newsmen at the venue of the election, a prospective voter, Florence Oraedum, the Igweamaka said low voters turn out was an expression of frustration by the voters who could not understand why INEC considered the main election as inconclusive and failed to declare Obiano as the winner of the November 16, 2013 main election.
Similarly, voter apathy was witnessed in two polling units at Community Primary School,Abatete,Idemili North local government, which has a combined total registered voters of 1231.The polling officer in charge of one of the polling units there,confided in journalists that the voters turn out was very low.
It was the same case at the Saint Peters Primary School,Ogidi (1) polling unit,which has 764 registered voters.The INEC officer who spoke to journalists few minutes before the actual voting started,said the number of people that came out to vote were far below the expected figure.
There was also low voters turn out at the Agbaja Abatete Civic Centre,although the figure here was a little bit higher than what was obtained in other areas.
