Enugu LG Poll: Ogbodo, Ani hail peaceful voting

By Chinedu Adonu

The Enugu State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Deacon Okey Ogbodo, and Chairman of Enugu South Local Government Area, Mr Caleb Ani, have commended the massive turnout of voters and peaceful conduct of Saturday’s local government election in the state.

They spoke while monitoring the exercise at Amechi wards in Enugu South Local Government Area.

Ogbodo described the election as peaceful and credible, saying the high turnout indicated growing awareness and participation in the democratic process.

“Just like you have observed, the turnout is there for every person. The election is very credible and the turnout is very massive. The voters are very supportive. There don’t seem to be any problem anywhere.

“I have gone around, particularly in our local areas and all the wards, and discovered that it is very peaceful and very credible,” he said.

The commissioner said the peaceful conduct of the election was a positive indication of increasing democratic awareness among the people.

He added that the exercise would serve as a test ahead of two forthcoming elections, describing the development as a positive sign for Nigeria’s democratic process.

“Like I said earlier during one of my interviews with journalists, this is a test of what is going to happen in the next two elections which we are waiting for.

“It is a very good sign of the democratisation that is taking place. Our people are becoming aware and they know what to do.

“Democracy is no longer nascent. Our people are becoming aware and they have a good understanding of where we are and what to do. I think it is a very good one and it is commendable,” Ogbodo said.

Also speaking, Ani said the large turnout demonstrated the people’s interest in the electoral process.

He said the exercise was taking place across the 13 wards and 321 polling units in Enugu South, adding that voters had turned out in large numbers.

“I can tell you that what you are seeing here today is a show of love from our people because of the activities of the APC in Enugu State, starting from what His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is doing and that of the Governor of Enugu State.

“And what we are doing at the local level, courtesy of His Excellency, the Governor, I can tell you that this exercise is going on in all the 13 wards and 321 polling units of Enugu South Local Government Area.

“If you turn around, you can see that our people have come out en masse and the whole exercise is very peaceful,” he said.

Ani described the exercise as one of the most peaceful elections witnessed in the area in recent times, attributing the development to voters’ enthusiasm to participate in the electoral process.

However, the Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in Enugu State, Dr John Paul Ani, who spoke after casting his vote at Ward 2, Unit 001, Town Hall, Akpugo, Nkanu West LGA, commended the peaceful conduct of the election in his area but alleged irregularities in some other council areas.

Ani also commended the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission, ENSIEC, for what he described as a largely hitch-free exercise.

“My assessment of the process is that the process was peaceful, transparent and credible, the way I voted. I want to commend the commission, ENSIEC, for conducting such a hitch-free exercise,” he said.

He, however, said the party had received reports from its chairmen and other officials in some local government areas alleging that some ENSIEC officials denied NDC officials access to council headquarters where election materials were being distributed.

He specifically mentioned Aninri, Oji River and Ezeagu local government areas.

“By law, every political party must be at the headquarters where materials will be distributed to various wards and polling units.

“But in these local governments that I have mentioned, the reports we are getting from there was that our people were not allowed access,” he said.

Ani called on ENSIEC to investigate the allegations and take appropriate action if they were established.

“We are calling on ENSIEC to do more to investigate this situation and then bring the perpetrators of this act to book,” he said.

He also urged the commission to demonstrate its independence and impartiality in the conduct of the election.

On the expected outcome, the NDC chairman expressed confidence in his party’s performance, citing its campaign and the quality of candidates it fielded.

“For us in NDC, we are confident that we will win this election at the end of the day because we have done a campaign. We have fielded credible candidates; we fielded people that understand what the masses want,” he said.

Ani said the NDC had deployed agents to polling units where it fielded candidates and was monitoring the collation process at ward and local government levels.

He, however, said the party would await the official declaration of results by ENSIEC.

“We have voted, we have monitored the exercise, and we have moved to coalition centres, ward coalition centres.

“So, after this exercise, we will go to the local government where the result will be officially announced by the commission. And then when we get to the bridge, we will cross it,” he said.

Ani acknowledged that ENSIEC was leading in some areas, adding that no party could expect to win every constituency.

“As it is right now, ENSIEC is leading in some areas. Of course, we can’t win all. But we know where we have fielded candidates that we are confident that we will win at the end of the day,” he said.

He further alleged that election materials had not reached some polling areas as of the time of his briefing, particularly in Oji River, Aninri and Ezeagu.

“From the reports we got, there are some places that materials did not even reach, even at this point, especially in Oji River, Aninri and Ezeagu.

“But in Nkanu West, where I am and where I voted, materials got into every polling unit in the local government,” Ani said.

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