The absence of electoral materials and officials at the polling units marred the conduct of Saturday’s Local Government Area (LGA) Elections in Abia.
The Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) did not distribute materials to the polling units as at 11 am against the 7 am slated by the commission.
According to the commission, electoral materials were scheduled to arrive at the polling units at 7 am, while accreditation and voting would commence by 8 am.
At Umuahia South, Osisioma, Aba North and Aba South LGAs, neither the electoral materials nor election officials were seen at some of the polling units visited. Some ad hoc staff were seen milling around the LG Headquarters, waiting for election materials.
There was also low turnout of voters at the various polling units visited across the state. Prospective voters, who were scanty in number, were seen at some of the polling units waiting for materials and voting to commence.
In Umuahia South, Aba North, South and Osisioma LGAs, voters, election officials and security personnel were conspicuously absent at the polling units visited.
Some of the polling units visited included Polling Units 009, 015 at Avonipupe Primary School and Ipupe Village Hall Polling Unit 008. Others were Polling Units 011 and 012 at Ogbo Central School as well as Polling Units 007, 013 and 017 located at the Umuosu Community School.
The Deputy Chairmanship Candidate for Zenith Labour Party in Osisioma LGA, Mr Aguwa, said the electoral materials had been brought to the council headquarters for the polls. Aguwa further said that the representatives of other parties inspected and confirmed the materials to be complete.
He, however, said that the materials had yet to be shared “because the LGA, which has about 301 polling units, is complex.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Voter Education and Enlightenment in ABSIEC, Dr Kelechukwu Okere, has described the report of absence of materials at the polling units as “pure falsehood.” Okere said that the commission made adequate arrangements for the seamless distribution of materials and election officials to ensure a smooth exercise.
