Late arrival of materials and apathy in most places were major features of yesterday’s local government elections in Enugu State.
With candidates of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) unchallenged in most of the wards and councils, the exercise was a mere rubber stamp.
Reports from some areas indicated, however, that the elections took off smoothly and witnessed large turnout, especially in the constituencies of chairmanship candidates.
Voter apathy was visible in most of the polling stations in Achara Layout, Enugu South Local Government Area.
Voters were yet to arrive for accreditation at the Igbariam Primary School polling station and others as at 10 a.m.
One of the presiding officers, Mr. Chibueze Chukwu, told NAN that the election materials had not been supplied just as the voters were yet to show up.
“We are still waiting for the supervisor to come with the materials. Whenever they come, we will start accreditation after which the voting will start,” he said.
In Udenu Local Government, Area the outgoing chairman, Dr Godwin Abonyi, said that the turnout was impressive, adding that the election was going on smoothly as at mid-day.
Skirmishes between supporters of the APGA candidate and their PDP counterparts were reported in the area, although voting later commenced.
Governor Sullivan Chime and Chairman of PDP in the state, Chief Vita Abba, expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the election.
The governor said the exercise marked yet another milestone in the quest by the state to entrench democracy and good governance at the grassroots.
Chime, who spoke shortly after casting his vote at Premier School, Udi, said the conduct of the election, which is the fourth since the inception of his administration in 2007 was worthy of emulation.
He attributed the comparatively low turn-out of voters for the election to the fact that all the chairmanship candidates and most of the councillorship candidates were running unopposed.
Speaking after voting at Community Primary School Ede-oballa, Nsukka Local Government Area of the state, Abba said that there was a tremendous improvement in the turnout and organisation of the poll.
“The process is very transparent and there is a lot of improvement than what it used to be. We pray and continue to work for further improvement in elections in Enugu state,” he said.
On the complaints by the opposition parties that they were excluded from the exercise, the Enugu PDP helmsman said the complaint by one individual does not matter but the process.
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