The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been advised to show transparency in the handling of the ongoing Presidential/National Assembly election results to encourage Nigerians, especially the youth to participate in future elections in the country.
The new electoral law and introduction of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) raised the hopes of so many Nigerians to believe that the 2023 elections will be free, fare, credible and that their votes would count.
BVAS is an electronic device designed to read Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and authenticate voters. It was introduced to eliminate over voting and manipulation of election results.
Consequently electorate in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, defied the rain and late deployment of materials to polling stations, by INEC, to ensure that they cast their votes for their preferred candidates in the Presidential/National Assembly elections.
So many young voters, who voted for the first time, attributed their interest to participate in the 2023 elections to electoral reforms and the participation of some candidates that they believe would usher in a new Nigeria of their dream.
Augustina Ogu, a 22-year-old graduate, who voted for the first time, explained that she voted, because of Peter Obi, Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).
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According to her, “I believe in Obi’s philosophy; he has integrity and capacity to give us a better Nigeria.
“I need a new Nigeria and I’m voting for the first time because, I’ve seen the right man, someone that I can stand for, as a Nigerian.”
Ogu, who said she was qualified to vote in 2019, did not participate, because she didn’t see the reason to vote. “But this time around there is a difference in organisation and also I saw a candidate of my choice, which is Peter Obi,” she said.
Chigozie Temple, a businessman, who stood in the rain to cast his vote, said: “I’m here because I want to cast my vote. I’m determined, because I want a new Nigeria. So, this is my own sacrifice for a new Nigeria. We are voting for our future and a new Nigeria.”
For Mercy Okojie, “the rain cannot stop me from casting my vote to elect those that I feel can usher us into a Nigeria of our dream.”
Uche Udensi Emeku, a civil rights activist, however, was not happy with INEC, which he accused of being inefficient.
According to him, “we were told that everything would have been ready by 8.00am, but as at 10.00am, nothing happened.
“They deployed men and materials late at about 10.30 am in some polling stations and 12.00pm in some other areas.
“I was in Ogbor Hill, around Comprehensive High School and voting did not start as at 10.30am. At Ehi Road Primary School, Aba, which is also a voting centre, election did not start there at 11.00am.
“At World Bank Model 2 Primary School, as at 11.20am, INEC personnel were not even on site at the polling station. At Girls Secondary Commercial School, which INEC used as a centre for Osisioma Local Government, also by 10.00am, they did not even start distributing materials and to make things worse, they are using mini busses to transport men and materials to polling stations, instead of bigger busses.
“Meanwhile, we heard over the radio that Atiku Abubakar had voted in Adamawa State, while some parts of Lagos State had also voted.
“I believe that INEC is planning games that will make it impossible for people in the South-East, especially in Aba to vote. This is because I feel that they’re trying to wear us out, so that people would be hungry and tired and go home without casting their votes.”
He continued: “INEC is not doing well at all. Even when they arrived at my polling station, it took them more than 30 minutes to get ready to attend to us.”
Emeku observed that people waited, because they wanted to cast their votes to a particular candidate,
“If you go across the road now, you will see that food vendors lined up for people that want to eat.
So, people are ready to waste their time to ensure that they vote. And nobody wants to stay hungry the way we are facing hunger now in the next four years.
He commended Aba residents for coming out in their thousands to vote, noting that this is the first time that he saw Aba residents troop out in their large numbers to participate in an election.
He urged the INEC to do better in the March 11, 2023, Governorship/House of Assembly elections, by deploying men and materials early to enable electorate to vote.
