The Residents Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu State, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, has lauded residents of the state for their impressive and overwhelming turnout during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Ononamadu gave the commendation while briefing newsmen on the elections in his office at INEC headquarters in Enugu on Saturday.
He also thanked the electorate in the state for their patience even in the face of delay in commencement of the polls in some polling booths.
“This patience by the electorate shows some level of political maturity our people here had attained.
“And this must be commended; as it led to the general peacefulness of the elections throughout the state,’’ he said.
The REC explained that the delay in arrival of electoral staff and materials in some polling booths was not deliberate but a fall out of logistics hitches caused by some transporters.
“We signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with them through their unions.
“In it, we have to pay them 50 per cent before commencement of election duty work on Friday.
“On the day of the election proper, we pay their unions 15 per cent of the total money and ensure we pay the balance of 35 per cent after the Election Day.
“So, INEC faithfully abided by this and we had paid all of them 50 per cent as of Friday afternoon.
“It will surprise you to note that this morning some of them was asking for more money setting aside our initial MoU agreement and even some among them think it is just `go and drop your passenger’ transportation forgetting that it is a whole day engagement INEC is paying for.
“However, we thank God it was sorted out by their union heads without much delay in the early morning hours and more time added to polling booths that lost time due to the development,’’ he said.
He said that some number of NYSC corp members left at the state INEC headquarters were the reserve corpers meant to immediately act as replacement in case any of the corp members already posted as ad hoc staff default.
The REC further explained that for strategic reasons of guiding against compromise and being influenced by `political exposed persons’; collation officers only got to know their postings midway into the elections.
“This move by the commission will guide against compromising the integrity of our collation officers, who are also our ad hoc staff,’’ he said.
According to him, the election was generally peaceful, violence-free and one of the best elections in the state in recent time.
Meanwhile, Deputy Senate President, Prof. Ike Ekweremadu, and Enugu West senatorial candidate for the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chimaroke Nnamani, have won their areas for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Ekweremadu won at his Amachalla Primary School, Mpu Ward.
Votes were also delivered for the House of Representatives candidate, Toby Okechukwu.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the counting of votes, a PDP stakeholder from the community Mr. Bright Ekweremadu, said it was expected because Ekweremadu and Nnamani are popular “so, we don’t expect any other party to come in.”
“For this community we are overwhelmed, we are happy. It is a sign that our Senator is representing us well and we are happy with him and the only way to pay him back is to cast our votes for him. And we have done that not only for Senate but the Presidency and House of Reps”.
Of the 499 valid votes cast, PDP scored 468 votes for Presidency, 490 for Senate and 492 for House of Reps. Other parties scored zero.
Similarly, Nnamani, the Enugu East senatorial candidate for the PDP, won his Ojiagu Agbani Polling Unit 012. The results as declared by the INEC official were as follows,
Presidential: “PDP – 191; APC – 2 and PCP – 3. Senatorial PDP – 245 and APC – 1”
Addressing newsmen, Nnamani commended INEC for a good job, saying “We are grateful to God that again, we are going through four years of clear participation in the democratic process to pick those who will oversee the affairs of our people.
“We have had a smooth, free and fair election, even though one would have expected a larger turnout but I believe, maybe the earlier postponement dampened the enthusiasm of our people. But democracy is alive and working. It is not about rating; the pool is successful; INEC so far has conducted successful elections
Meanwhile, former Senate President and an All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart, Ken Nnamani, lost in his polling unit 003, Amechi ward 2 , Enugu South local government area of Enugu State.
According to results announced by INEC’s Presiding Officer, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates won the elections.
The results are “Polling Unit 003, Amechi Ward 2; Presidential: PDP – 63; APC – 19; invalid -14. Senatorial: PDP – 62; APC – 19; invalid – 6. House of Reps: PDP – 46, APC 43.
In Polling Unit 009A of Amaechi Ward 2: Presidential: PDP – 73; APC – 82; Senate PDP – 28; APC 18; APGA – 1 and invalid – 5. House of Reps: PDP -32 and APC – 15 and PCP – 1.”
Former governor of Old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, delivered his polling unit 010 Amechi Ward 1 in Enugu South local government area of Enugu State to PDP.
According the result announced by INEC’s Presiding Officer: “Presidential PDP – 191; APC – 31 and YPP – 3. Senatorial: PDP – 172; APC – 41; MRDD – 1; APGA – 1; UPP – 1 and invalid – 1. House of Reps: PDP – 91 and APC – 121.
However, while the announcement of results was going on soldiers numbering over seven stormed the venue wielding gun and started hitting the voters including observers.
There was no incidence of violence , people wondered why soldiers stormed the polling units with guns.
