Voting collapses in Anambra

Posted by Pamela Eboh, Awka | 28 March 2015 | 4,582 times

The process of voting in today’s presidential and National Assembly elections has collapsed in many parts of Anambra State in South-East Nigeria.

Reports from various parts of the state, including the commercial town of Onitsha and the Agulu hometown of former governor Peter Obi indicate that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has failed to accredit many prospective voters, some of whom have lost their patience and are now going home.

As at 12:30 p.m., Mr. Peter Obi, among other voters, were still waiting for INEC officials at his Amatutu Ward 11.

“It is true that voting has collapsed in Anambra,” Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chairman of the International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law (Intersociety), told News Express on phone.

Umeagbalasi said he came to the conclusion based on what he witnessed and following reports from election monitors in several parts of the state.

He said that electoral officials complained of incomplete voting documents and lack of card readers while in some places the card readers failed to work.

“When told to do manual accreditation, they said they needed clearance from INEC Headquarters,” the frontline rights activist lamented.

•Photo courtesy of Valentine Obienyem shows former Governor Peter Obi (second right, front), among other voters, awaiting for INEC officials at his Amatutu Ward 11 in Agulu.

Source: News Express