Low turnout greets Delta local government elections

Local Government elections held in Delta State on Saturday, recorded low turn out occasioned byvoter apathy in parts of the state.

The exercise which was billed to start by 8.00am started as late as 11.00am in some areas even as few number of voters were seen participating in the exercise.

At the Uzoigwe Primary School, ward 11 and 20, this reporter visited at about 8.am but met a good number of policemen on duty, waiting for the DSIEC adhoc staff to come for the exercise to begin.

The adhoc staff arrived at the venue exactly 10.22am with the electoral materials. As of 11am when this reporter left the vicinity, the four units in the venue were only getting prepared to start the registration and voting.

Despite all the delays, just a handful of persons came out to cast their votes while in the other units in the ward, no voter came to participate. The adhoc staff who, though came very late, had to wait for voters.

At DSIEC Ward 13, Unit 3, Okpanam City Hall in Oshimili North LGA, when visited around 11.53am, voting was ongoing though with few electorate seen.

At DSIEC 18, Unit 2 – Asagba Primary School, Asaba in Oshimili South LGA, reportedly started around 8:30 but as the time of visit, few persons were seen casting their votes.

Austin Enudi, Presiding officer at the unit 2, however described the turn out at his unit as encouraging, saying he didn’t know that people would later come out at all due to the early morning rain that fell.

Also, at Ward 9, Unit 30, Awele Market, Ogebesidi Okpanam in Oshimili North LGA, voting was ongoing as of 12noon when visited.

Reacting, Prince Eze JP, chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Delta State, in an interview with newsmen, observed that voter turn-outs were low in some units and wards of the state and high in some others.

It is normal in every election, he added, even as he commended the state police command and its men for ensuring the elections were devoid of violence.

Persons with disabilities who were seen at Uzoigwe Primary School, participating in the election were also elated being part of the exercise.

Stephen Ofole, chairman, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), said that their presence at the elections was an evidence that the campaign on the all-inclusiveness of persons with disabilities reached the grassroots.

Read also: Delta Commissioner of Police orders massive deployment ahead LG polls holding tomorrow 

He urged his colleagues not to avoid elections but should exercise their franchise which he said qualifies them to complain when things are not done rightly by those voted into power.

Ezekiel Ugwumba, a resident of Asaba, told BusinessDay that he did not see any reason to vote because those who were contesting had been selected.

“This election is a family affair. You can see it that there is no keen contest. It is therefore a waste of time for me to participate in it. Our votes did not count during the general elections. Is it at the LG polls that they would count?

Maybe with the athonomy granted the LGs by the Supreme Court, next LG elections, it could be clear that we can vote our choice of leaders to man the LGs not those selected for us”, he said.