REC to investigate cause of delay in Orji’s Ugba Urban unit

The Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Professor Selina Oko has assured she will investigate the cause of delay in voting at Ugba Urban Ward at Ugba Community Primary School where the state governor Theodore Orji and his wife Mercy who arrived about 3 pm could not vote till about 4.30 pm .

It was learnt however that the delay may not be unconnected to unavailable ballot papers

The Umuahia North Local Council Electoral Officer was also reportedly unavailable when the governor came to vote.
The delay could not be explained to the REC when she visited the ward following the report made to her by the governor who waited patiently in the car with his wife.

However, the governor, Minister of State for Defense, Colonel Austin Akobundu(rtd) and Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada Chief Ojo Maduekwe  separately commended people ofb the state for turning out impressively to cast their votes despite technical hitches and late arrival of materials.

The REC told journalists that the situation was worrisome especially as she had distributed voting materials to the 17 local councils of the state on Thursday 26 March.

At his Oloko Ward in Ikwuano , Akobundu told The Guardian that his area was lucky to have been assigned functional Card Reader and given the necessary materials in time which made the exercise to be smooth.

On his part, Maduekwe said the exercise was another evidence that democracy is taking  firm root in the country and lauded his Ohafia electorate for turning out to participate.