The Zenith Labour Party has won the seats in the Abia local government elections held Saturday.
The party won 15 out of the 17 local government areas in the state.
The Young Progressives Congress won Osisioma and Ugwunagbo Local Government Areas.
The results were announced by the Chairman, Abia State Independent Electoral Commission Chairman, Prof. Chima George.
George, speaking at the ABSIEC office thanked Abians for their peaceful disposition, adding that in every election, there must be a winner.
The ABSIEC boss thanked all the political parties that participated in the election for their maturity.
Apathy, late arrival of materials, mar council polls in C/River, Abia
According to our correspondents, the council polls which were held in parts of Cross River and Abia states respectively yesterday were marred by voters’ apathy even as party officials waited endlessly for the election materials which arrived late at most of the polling units.
Checks by our correspondents at some of the designated areas where the voting exercise was supposed to be held were almost desolate, with some of the officials lamenting the absence of election materials.
Specifically, some polling units including Ward 3 and Unit 21 Hope of Glory were without materials as at 9:19 am.
In Old Ikang, unit 019, Ward 4, unit 006, Ward 4 Ediba Primary School where voting had commenced, the voters’ register which showed a record of 750 eligible voters only 2 votes were recorded according to officials on the ground.
Unit 0-21 Calabar Municipality had no materials nor voting by 10:51 am.
An All Progressives Congress (APC) Agent Offiong Etta who spoke with journalists said, “Materials are on the way, we’ve called them. You know the units are many but the officials are still coming.”
At unit 008 ward 4, Calabar municipal, voting hadn’t commenced at 10:15 am. At unit 9, by Fidelity Bank, voting hadn’t commenced at 11: 12 am and materials were nowhere to be found. Mr. Ofafu Peter, said, “I have been disenfranchised. I went to my unit to vote at 7: am. As I am here now. I am going home, no materials to vote.”
Mrs. Ndifreke Joy, said, “We have over 400 voters here, but we have been disenfranchised. They said they’ve sent materials, but we don’t know where the materials are and it’s almost 12 o’clock.
Also, Bassey Effiong and Mrs. Mbang Edem Orok at Ward 6 and Calabar-South, said they were still expecting materials as at midday.
Voting at Ward 2, Unit 1 and 3, Calabar-South, went on smoothly.
In a related development, election across the 17 local government areas in Abia state was marred by late arrival of electoral materials at polling units and voter apathy.
Our correspondent who monitored the election across major cities in the state reports that ad-hoc workers of the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC) arrived at their polling units between 11am and 12pm.
Some of the ad-hoc staff who spoke under anonymity confided in our correspondent that the late arrival of vehicles that would convey them to their respective locations was a major hindrance.
Some of the political wards visited recorded low turnout of voters.
At Osusu Hall, at about 2 pm, there were no ABSIEC staff and materials, though party agents of various political parties were seen anxiously waiting for the conduct of the election in the ward.
At Osusu 1 Ward 3, Unit 33 with 70 registered voters, only one person was accredited and had voted at the time of our correspondent’s visit.
At Osusu 1 Ward 3, unit 9 with 780 registered voters, about 20 accredited others had already voted.
At unit 12, Ward 3, where the former Aba North and South federal House of Representatives, Hon. Chimaobi Ebisike had 1446 registered voters.
At Old Aba GRA Ward 7, unit 18 with 1174 registered voters, 15 persons were accredited and voted.
At Ward 7, unit 19, out of 1653 registered voters, 28 persons had been accredited and voted as well.
The scenario wasn’t different in other parts of the state according to reports.
There were no cases of violence, though opposition parties have condemned the conduct of the election, claiming an attempt by the governor of the state to collaborate with the Zenith Labour Party to rig the election.
Meanwhile, the governor of the state, Dr. Alex Otti who spoke after voting at his ward in Isiala Ngwa South local government area of the state expressed his satisfaction over the peaceful disposition of the election and Abians.
He called on Abians to vote for the candidates of their choice regardless of their parties, stressing that what is important is that Abians elect people who share the same vision with his government.
He warned that the people would have themselves to regret if they voted incompetent people into power considering that local government is the closest government to the people in the rural areas.
Reports by Felix Jacob, Felix Aikhojie
