Imo North supplementary poll records low turnout

From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Imo North supplementary poll conducted yesterday recorded low turnout of voters as most people had thought the polls would hold on Saturday.
The supplementary polls conducted in  Osuachara ward in Isiala Mbano for the Imo North and the Isiala Mbano state constituencies were peaceful and orderly except  in Obihuru, Orji, Umuenye and Umuchima polling units where thugs chased the electoral officials  away and took away the electoral materials.
However, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr.Taiwo Lakanu who had earlier gone round all the polling units in Osuachara ward in Isiala Mbano, on being informed of the development had  sent a reinforcement team who intercepted the thugs and retrieved the electoral materials, thus averting what could have snowballed into a breach of peace in the area.
Similarly, in Umuohiri  and Umuduru all in Osuachara ward of Isiala Mbano, the presence of police officers also forestalled crisis as they were able to thwart political thugs who had wanted to hijack electoral materials while voting was in progress.
Chuks Chukwuemeka, former Economic Adviser to former Imo State governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim said for the police and other security agencies, all the polling units in Osuachara would have been in danger because of the activities of thugs.
He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was having the upper hand in the entire Osuachara ward of Lady  Joy Mbawuike who is contesting the Isiala Mbano state constituency.
Meanwhile,  former  Senator Ifeanyi  Araraume, has accused the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of not being sincere over the cancellation of  some polling booths in his ward, Osuachara in last Saturday’s Imo North rerun election.
Arararume, who spoke to newsmen after casting his vote at Isiebu polling booth, noted that the action of INEC does not conform with the present change of the present administration.
“INEC cancellation of my ward is funny, we did the right thing, yet, INEC cancelled our result, but we are here today hoping that such will not happen again,” he said.
However, as at press time, the results of the supplementary polls were still being collated by electoral officials.