By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Shouts of joy broke out among the members of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, in different polling units across Okpuno and other communities in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, following the announcement of final results of the 2021 governoship election in the state in each of the polling units.
The election, which held amid air-
tight security, was adjudged to be peaceful in the various polling units across the local government area, contrary to armchair speculations that emerged in the morning, that the election would be 'very hot' following resounding gunshots that woke the residents of the area from sleep on the Saturday morning.
However, there were low turnouts of voters in some polling units, like PU 001 and PU 12 Afor Okpuno, Awka South, where only fewer than 40 out of over 1000 registered voters in the polling unit had come out and voted as at 1:11pm; PU 013 Ebe Iru Offia Square, Okpuno, where only one person had come and cast his vote as 1:31.pm; PU 014 Ebe Iru Offia Square, Okpuno, where no single voter had come out, let alone casting his vote, as at 1.35.pm; PU 019 Ezinifite Okpuno Village Hall, Awka South, where only three persons voted throughout the entire voting exercise.
Be it as it may, there were massive turnouts in some polling units in the area, such as PU 014 Ebe Iru Offia Village Square iv Okpuno, where the Traditional Ruler of Okpuno, H.R.H. S.I. Okafor and over 80 other registered voters came and cast his votes; PU 008 Ezinifite Okpuno Village Hall, Awka South, where over 1500 out of 3072 registered voters in the polling unit came out to cast their votes, even though it was only 195 persons voted while other did not still cast their votes as at 6:38 pm when INEC officials stopped the voting exercise.
The delay, according to the Presiding Officer in the unit, was as a result of poor network and the failure of the machine in capturing some the voters, as it took up to 15 minutes for one person to get accredited and successfully vote, thereby delaying the entire process.
This delay, led to fracas intermittently breaking out in the area, especially when the INEC officials attempted to stop the voting exercise when it was official time to stop, as many the voters became uncomfortable and worried that they might be disenfranchised after having stood under since morning without being captured or given ballot paper to cast their votes. It was these issues that made the INEC officials to surrender to the voters' pressures and extended the voting exercise till it was 6:38pm, when they forcefully stopped the voting exercise and packed their logistics.
The most surprising sitting arrangement was spotted when our reporter arrived at PU 020 and PU 021 Odoagba Square Awka South and found out that INEC officials were using a banana seller's chair to do their work (both accreditation and other aspects of their job) under a tree as they said no single table or chair was provided for them, nor any sitting arrangement made for them.
All said, the election was peaceful in all the areas visited by our reporter, with APGA taking the lead, followed by the People's Democratic Party (PDP), and thirdly APC.
The breakdown of some of the results in Awka South are as follows:
Ezinifite Okpuno Village Hall Awka South PU 008:
Accredited voters : 195
AAC: 1
YPP: 3
APC: 16
APGA: 88
PDP: 73
Invalid: 14
Ebe Iru Offia Square iv Okpuno PU:014:
Invalid: 6
APC: 19
PDP: 33
APGA: 29
YPP: 4
LP: 1
Amawbia ward II.
Polling unit 011
Registered voters 489
Invalid vote 2
APGA :60
PDP:34
APC:4
ZLP:2
YPP:2
Total vote cast: 104
Arroma polling unit 008
APGA 54
PDP 29
APC 8
Mbaukwu PU 005:
APGA 41
PDP 15
APC 3
Mbaukwu PU 006:
APGA 39
PDP 13
APC 14
Mbaukwu PU 007
APGA 37
PDP 18
APC 12.
Ward 5 Obunagu II
APGA 95
PDP 53
APC 11
NIBO WARD 3/PU 001 & PU 002:
APGA-100
ADC-01
APC-13
PDP-28
YPP-10
Uruana Nibo Hall PU 010
PDP - 9 votes
APC - 9 votes
ZLP - 7 votes
APGA- 56 votes
Uruana Nibo Hall PU 009
ZLP....9
APC..12
PDP...15
APGA...49
Total:
APGA..105
APC.. 21
PDP..24
ZLP...16.
Mbaukwu
Mbaukwu PU 005
APGA 41
PDP 15
APC 3
Mbaukwu PU 006.
APGA 39
PDP 13
APC 14
Mbaukwu PU 007
APGA 37
PDP 18
APC 12.
Izunna Okafor reports from Awka South
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