YPP, LP, PDP candidates in Nnewi North Local Government Area openly declared that the local government election on Saturday was an electoral fraud following what majority of the electorate dismissed as monumental disenfranchisement.
The candidates called for immediate cancellation of the exercise for a proper election to be conducted.
The electorate decried that Nnewi community was disappointed over the conduct of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) in discharging its duties as voters who turned out enmass to vote were denied the right to exercise their franchise.
Labour Party Chairmanship candidate, Dr Chidiebere Uba who spoke to some journalists at his polling unit, Obi Okpuno-Egbu Hall, Nnewi expressed dissatisfaction with the ANSIEC officials who he said earlier announced that voting would commence by 8:00am and conclude at 4:00pm but failed intoto to live up to their promise.
Dr Uba said the officials of the electoral body were nowhere to be found at many polling stations by 1:30pm and beyond as he went round neither were the election materials made available at the polling units.
He said there was no sign of election at the polling stations he visited including Ezeamiba voting unit situated at Methodist Church, Okpuno-egbu, Umudim, Nnewi even though the voters came out as early as 7:00am as confirmed by our Correspondent.
“Mr Agudiegwu P. reported that there was no election at Okpuno Otolo polling units 011, 012 and 013. Ekechukwu Angela reported there was no election at 007 to 012; 020 and 021 polling units of Ebenato Central School, Otolo Nnewi.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chairmanship candidate, Barr, Enyinnaya Orizu who visited Obi Okpuno-egbu polling unit expressed dissatisfaction as he did not see any ANSIEC official by the time he was there around 1:00pm.
At Otolo Ward 1, the Young Progressives Party (YPP) Councilorship candidate, Hon Okonkwo Onyemaobi (Anunebe) who was visibly not happy spoke extensively on what many voters considered as electoral fraud.
Hon Onyemaobi condemned what he described as a calculated effort by the ANSIEC to disenfranchise the voters in Nnewi North Local Government Area.
He disclosed that out of 22 polling units in Otolo, Ward 1 ANSIEC brought voting materials to 19 only and voting did not start at those places by 2:00 pm as the materials were incomplete when our Correspondent visited, a situation that attracted the anger of the youths
Okonkwo said since the materials were not complete the voters insisted that the election would not be held till the sensitive materials were complete.
He further disclosed that three major political parties’ candidates of the PDP, YPP and LP were present at the polling units but the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidates were no where to be found.
Hon Okonkwo called on Governor Charles Soludo and the electoral empire not to allow what the voters saw as monumental disenfranchisement to stand.
He noted that what transpired had placed integrity question on the ANSIEC.
He insisted that they would not accept any result announced that did not reflect the choice of the people, adding that the result of the election should produce the people’s choice and not the government’s choice.
At Model Primary School, DCC Nkwo Nnewi with five polling units, the voters also witnessed same fate.
Mr Okey Agupusi, a YPP agent said only 1 ballot box was brought to the polling station out of five ballot boxes.