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From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
Turnout for yesterday’s presidential and national assembly election was unprecedented in the history of elections since the present political dispensation in Enugu State.
As early as 7.00 am eligible voters had began to arrive at their various polling units and waited patiently until about 10 am when materials started trickling in; in some polling units materials arrived earlier and even beyond 2pm when some received materials.
People on their own arranged for canopies and chairs to ensure that the elderly and women were given comfort to continue to wait, while some arranged and wrote their names as they came to avoid confusion when the materials eventually arrived.
However, late arrival of election materials and snail speed of BVAS almost ruined the exercise as In the state capital INEC officials and materials arrived at places like St Paul’s Church Chinatown polling centre materials came around 12.30pm, same as some centres at Idaw River, Uwani, Obiagu and Ibeagwa Nike.
However, accreditation of voters at Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s polling unit started at about 9.0am and he voted at Ama Ube ward 2, Orba, Udenu LGA around 10.55am.
Despite the absence of security personnel at most of the polling units the exercise in Enugu was peaceful.
At Akapa Nike tiper park, Mr Ernest Nnadozie expressed disappointment with INEC over late arrival of materials and malfunction of some BVAS machines.
He said: “It is now 3.00pm and many voters here including myself are still waiting to cast our votes. I hope they will extend the time to allow me to vote because my vote must count in this election.”
