Governor Hope Uzodimma, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in yesterday’s governorship election in Imo State voted at about 11.40 am at his Ekwenja Okwu-Ozu polling unit, Omuma Oru- East Local Council of the state, after which he declared that only God would determine the outcome of the election.
Uzodimma, who voted alongside his wife Chioma, insisted that the peaceful environment that pervaded the election had defiled permutations that the state could not guarantee an election. He also praised INEC and security agencies for the deployment that made it possible for the people to come out and vote.
Uzodimma, who spoke shortly after casting his vote, said: “The conduct has been very peaceful. I have not seen anything that could suggest a threat to peace. So far it has been successful. I am not surprised. Of course you know that a prophet is not reckoned with in his homeland.
“I want to commend INEC. I want to also commend security agencies for the kind of deployment they have done and contrary to the ugly expectation that the environment will not be there for voting to take place, you can see that INEC has risen to the occasion and everything is moving on fine.”
On the perceived low turnout of voters, he said: “It is not over yet and I believe other people will still come out to vote. But with what I have seen here compared to what happened in the February election, it is very impressive and it is our hope that more people will come out to vote. So, my happiness is that we have the environment to conduct this election and people have come out to vote.
“The security agencies are properly deployed and the entire space is manned and occupied and people are responding positively and behaving themselves. I have not heard that there has been knockout anywhere not to talk about bullet. The environment is good enough.”
He also spoke about ugly stories making the rounds in the state, saying: “Some of us in politics to serve the people, stay with the people and discuss with the people. But some of us who are out to confuse the public go to social media to fabricate stories. I want the whole world to now see that Imo State is a destination, that there is election here and contrary to expectations, it is going on and it’s free, fair and very credible. You can see how freely I have come here to cast my vote. INEC was able to process it in a few minutes.
“So, I think that this is an evidence for the country to know that the patriotic citizens of Imo State are desirous of having the state blossom but those who are in politics sponsoring and financing mischief, banditry and other forms of atrocities should repent.
“The way it is, only God knows the outcome. I have voted and more people are still voting. At the end of the day, whatever God approves will be announced by INEC.”
INEC Denies Changing Polling Unit Officials
From Sodiq Omolaoye and Collins Osuji (Owerri)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied changing polling unit officials who were already trained on how to make use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS). The commission said the allegation by the Labour Party (LP) was false and baseless.There was a protest at Ikenegbu Girls Polling Unit in the Owerri municipal council as Polling Unit officers already trained on how to make use of the BVAS were allegedly changed.
The development caused uproar as the LP said it is the electoral umpire’s plan to rig the election in the favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC). A man who described himself as Mr. Madu, one of the potential voters who said he was a member of the LP, stated that it was surprising that the PU personnel already deployed to the voting centres were changed yesterday morning.
Spokesperson for the LP’s governorship candidate, Chibuikem Diala, alleged that INEC was doing the same thing in all parts of the state. He said: “The Senator Athan Achonu Media Centre wishes to alert security agents and patriotic INEC staff, especially those sent from outside Owerri for this election, about plans already concluded to compromise the BVAS for use for today’s election by the RATECH team.
“A reliable intel from some LGAs in Owerri Federal Constituency has uncovered plans by the technical team in those LGAs discussing about issuing wrong passwords to some of the ad hoc staff for this election.
“Specifically, this devious plan was being discussed at the Owerri Municipal and Owerri North Local Government Areas where the Head of the RATECH team has concluded plans to issue wrong passwords to PO especially those posted to polling units with large voters. According to the source, the instruction is to ensure that some of the BVAS malfunction at the Polling Units.
“The purpose is to either generate a fake result or frustrate the voting process in specific areas where the riggers do not have a strong presence. This is shameful and devilish.
“All party agents in every booth and ward, as well as voters should hold the ‘RATHEC Team responsible, not the POs, wherever BVAs password is wrong because it has been compromised. We also urge all POs to escalate this criminality wherever it is found.
“The agents and indeed all Imo voters must resist this and insist that the proper thing is done.
“We vehemently condemn this evil plot and call on the INEC Commissioners we have been told were seconded to the state to ensure a free, fair and smooth exercise to forestall this, as the opposition parties can never accept it.
“We request that the head of the RATECH team in Owerri Federal Constituency and indeed all other LGAs should be cautioned before they discredit a process that is meant to yield positive outcomes.
“We also charge security operatives to ensure that compromised INEC staff do not create a crisis during this electoral exercise.”
However, INEC’s Head, Voter Education and Publicity, Ben-Opara Emmanuella, told The Guardian that “nobody has the right to change any posting or official except with the express permission of the Head of Operation. I think it is too early to start the accusation,” she stated. She promised to revert to The Guardian after carrying out a thorough investigation on the matter.
Low Voter Turnout In Parts Of Owerri Municipal
From Sodiq Omolaoye, Owerri
LOW turnout of eligible voters was recorded in some parts of Owerri Municipal in yesterday’s governorship election in the state. At several places visited by The Guardian, only a handful of people were at polling units to elect their governor for another four years.
In some polling units, especially PUs with low number of registered voters, there were no voters in sight as INEC officials waited patiently. Some residents who spoke with The Guardian blamed the low turnout on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
At Polling Unit 019, opposite Hot FM, there was no voter insight as at 9.30 despite having about 50 registered voters. Same situation was observed at Polling Unit 012 beside the Post Office, Owerri Municipal, with five hundred registered voters.
INEC officials were still waiting for voters at 10.10am
The experience was not different at the Polling Unit located inside Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education. However, the INEC officials blamed the poor voter turnout there on the closure of schools by the government due to the election.
The situation was a bit different at Polling Unit 008, Umezirike, as residents were seen trooping out to cast their votes. The PU has about 1,400 registered voters.
Also, voting exercise at Polling Unit 06-12, Owerri West, had a large turnout of voters at ward 10 TTC Vii with 750 registered voters. At Polling Unit 008, Water Side Primary School, Azuzi 1, a voter who identified himself as Sam Oparaku, said he was satisfied with the whole process, adding that it took about nine minutes for him to complete the voting process.
Another voter, Martin Egejubu, described the election as successful, saying INEC officials arrived early enough to commence the process. In Owerri municipality, it was alleged that information disseminated on the eve of the election, warning eligible voters to either cast their votes for the candidate of a party or stay away from exercising their civic responsibility.
The information was said to have been disseminated by town criers at night. They allegedly threatened to kill anybody who acts to the contrary in addition to having their property destroyed. The threat, The Guardian gathered, led to low turnout in the capital city. Some voters who presented themselves for voting at some booths at St. Paul Catholic Church, Douglas Road, Owerri, were harassed, intimidated and beaten.
At Amanato-Opkoro, Orlu, voting materials arrived around 10.15a.m. At Premier Primary School, Owerre-Ebiri, Orlu, voting started about 9.45am. Incidences of vote buying were also recorded as the heavy presence of the security operatives did not deter the perpetrators from their heinous acts.
Reacting to cases of harassment and intimidation of voters, the supervising police officer in charge of monitoring in Imo State, Deputy Inspector General of Police ((DIG), Frank Mba, told journalists at Uzii Polling Unit about 1pm that police would investigate the incidents.
He said: “The election is largely peaceful. We are still monitoring the conduct, patrolling. We are not letting down our efforts. We trained, planned, prepared for the worst. We are urging Imo people to be orderly and law abiding. Power should be truly for the people; for the interest of the state and all of us. We monitored materials from the airport to areas of distribution and to be returned to the collation centres.
“We have adequate numbers, gadgets, adequately trained personnel, deploying experts to the centres.
“We are generally positive about the outcome of this election. We are committed to protecting the democratic space. We are committed to providing a level playing space. We have challenges on the ground.” Mba, continued: “Elections are characterised by disinformation and misinformation. There is a need to fact check.
“I will investigate those aspects of the claims. For voter apathy, if I may use those words, the best we can do is doing what we can – providing adequate security, safety of Imolites. They should come out and exercise their franchise. We have done our part. We provided security in the field. We have provided policemen in all the polling units. We have striking forces on patrol. We have a quick response unit moving around the town and hinterland. We have done what we should do; probably moving forward Nigerians must continue to strengthen and deepen election processes.
“Looking again, you might say it is not over until it is over. Some voters are early risers; some might be mid-day risers, while some others are late risers.”
Gunmen Attack Vote Buyers, Snatch Over N1.5 Million
From Lawrence Njoku, Owerri
IT was a sad Saturday afternoon for some vote buyers at the All Anglican Cathedral Church premises as hoodlums operating as gunmen attacked the Polling Units (PUs) and snatched their money.
The gunmen, numbering about 10, snatched over N1.5 million that was being shared to voters at the four PUs in the premises.The gunmen who invaded the PUs around 2.20pm shot consistently before swooping on the three men sharing the money.
While the shooting was ongoing, some policemen attached to the PUs took to their heels, while INEC officials at the scene, lay down as they suspected ballot snatchers.
Voters, party agents and observers, including journalists also fled the voting centres. The hoodlums went straight to the four points where the monies were being shared and snatched them.
One of the party agents, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian that each of the polling units in the place was given N1 million amounting to N4 million for the election.
“But we had already shared a considerable amount of money before the boys struck. I only shared about N500,000 before the hoodlums struck,” he said.
Yiaga Africa Accuses APC, INEC Of Blocking Observers From Accessing Polling Units
From Matthew Ogune, Abuja
AN election monitoring group, Yiaga Africa, has accused agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of colluding with polling officials deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deny observers access to the Umuokpara Ehi Hall Polling Unit (16-20-02-005) in Umucheke ward, Orlu Local Council of Imo State.
A member of Watching The Vote Working Group of the organisation, Dr. Asmau Maikudi, who made the allegation yesterday in Abuja at a press conference, also accused polling officials of requesting monetary inducements before allowing party agents to observe the process in Umuchenta Village Square, Polling Unit (16-07-06-010) in Atonerim ward of Ihitte/Uboma LGA in Imo state.
According to Maikudi, in most polling units in Ehi Ward and Okesi Ward, Ogori-Magongo LGA and Eika/Ohizenyi Ward, Okehi LGA in Kogi state, INEC officials arrived at the polling units with pre-filled result sheets before accreditation and voting commenced.She disclosed that the body received reports that some polling units did not open as of 12 noon, maintaining that the development cuts across six LGAs in Imo namely, Okigwe, Orlu, Orsu, Oru East, Oru West and Owerri West.
Yiaga’s Director of programme, Cynthia Mbamalu, called on INEC to suspend elections in polling units/local councils with reported incidents of pre-filled results forms, adding that the commission should arrest, investigate and prosecute the individuals responsible for the electoral offence.
“Yiaga Africa calls on INEC to extend the voting time, especially in Imo and Bayelsa states where the voting commenced late to ensure voters have an equitable opportunity to vote.
“Yiaga Africa calls on INEC to provide an update on when voters in locations where elections are yet to commence will vote, especially polling units affected by the late arrival of polling officials or materials destroyed due to the boat mishap in Southern Ijaw and those carted away during the abduction of INEC SPO in Sagbama LGA. And also the location where result sheets were pre-filled before voting in Ogori Mangogo and Okehi LGAs in Kogi State, respectively.
“Yiaga Africa calls on INEC and security agencies to uphold the transparency of the results collation process by complying with guidelines on results management and ensuring accredited election observers, media and party agents are present at all levels of result collation.
“Yiaga Africa calls on INEC to cancel elections in polling units where manual accreditation was recorded.
“We urge the voters to remain patient and peaceful through the voting and counting process. Yiaga Africa will provide updates as the voting process comes to an end and the results collation commences. At the end of the election, Yiaga Africa will provide statistically representative information about the conduct of the election.”
