Mixed reactions trail over Anambra governorship election

macfranc007 November 18, 2017 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 David Oladele

- Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) has given its verdict on the Anambra governorship election

- Samuel Itodo, the executive director of the YIAGA, said there were issues with card readers being unable to authenticate finger prints

- YIAGA is currently operating a data center tagged #WatchingTheVote in the Anambra state capital,

Some election observers, who monitored the governorship election in Anambra on Saturday, November 18, have expressed mixed feelings over the exercise.

Samuel Itodo, the executive director Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement (YIAGA), told the News Agency of Nigeria that materials and personnel arrived various polling units late.

Itodo said 28 per cent of polling units recorded arrival of materials and personnel as at 7 am except im Awka north and Awka south local government areas where materials and personnel arrive before 7am.

INEC officials checking ballot papers

According to him, ''Apparently, as at 1am 75 per cent of the polling units were opened while voting started about 30 minutes later.

“That is disturbing but as at 12 noon, 92 per cent of polling units were opened. We asked INEC to extend the deadline from 2pm to 4pm to enable people vote.’’

He also said there were issues with card readers being unable to authenticate finger prints, saying the development raised issue of integrity of the exercise.

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According to him, ''It is too premature to make statements on voter turnout. We are still studying our data so as to make official statement on that later.''

On his part, Ezenwa Nwagwu, the chairman, partners for electoral reform, said voting started late, especially in Ogbaru local government area.

Nwagwu said security agents have been civil and professional in their conduct, adding also that voters have equally behaved themselves.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported Tony Nwoye, candidate of the All Progressives Congress claimed that there was a clampdown on the chieftains and supporters of the party by security operatives.

Anambra election: Awka residents speak on who they will vote for and why - NAIJ.com TV: