INEC Frustrated As Ebonyi Indigenes Shun LG Election, Vow S-East Won’t Vote 2019

The local governments election slated to be held in Ebonyi state on Saturday, 22nd April, 2017 was marred with frustration by the people as they stayed back in their homes leaving the INEC officials and Nigerian security operatives to warm the seats at the polling centres, while some others went on their normal day to day businesses, as was observed by some media personnel that walked round.

The observers noted that few voters, who came out to know if the voting was taking place were entertained with canned soft drinks, snacks and sachet water, which were brought to the polling units to woo voters into voting for some pre-arranged winning parties and candidates.

On the course of brief interactions with some people, it was understood that some political parties and politicians actually doled out money bags, which they gave to some persons prior to the election.

These monies were expected to be used to buy voters over for the election but those whom the monies first entered their hands kept them for their private use and brought a little out of it to buy the soft drinks and snacks to be shared to unsuspecting voters.

The aggrieved people of the state reiterated that come 2019 election, no one will come out to vote for any one as there is no reason to vote in a country where electorates will be shared peanuts prior to every election only to be abandoned to their fate after some persons are voted in.

Despite the state government’s earlier warnings that all business premises and activities must be shut down during voting hours on the said date, the popular Eke Izhia market, near a primary school, where one polling unit at Ntsurakpa community in Ohaukwu local government is, which has turned to a daily market was seen laden with active business men and women doing their sales.

One of the business men, who agreed to speak to our newsmen under the condition of anonymity said “there is no need going out there to vote, because our votes won’t count. They have already selected the persons to be the chairmen in all the local government areas of the state and only want us to come out there to fulfill all righteousness. Going there is a waste of precious time”.