There was massive turn out of voters in Abia State for the presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday.
As early as 7 am enthusiastic voters had started thronging the various polling units in the state.
At Amuzukwu Girls Secondary School Umuahia, the state capital, about 1000 enthusiastic voters had gathered at the centre that has about 14 polling units waiting for the arrival of INEC officials.
The late arrival of INEC officials and voting materials was a major challenge but that notwithstanding, voters waited patiently.
INEC officials who eventually arrived the centre at 10 am, blamed their late arrival on transport and logistic challenges.
Meanwhile, there is protest in Agudama Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State over shortage of about 48,500 ballot papers meant for the Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency elections.
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The protesters who gathered at Ward 4, Epie 1, which has 47 units, covering Agudama and Akenpai Communities, are insisting that elections would not hold in their area until the missing ballot papers are replaced.
Speaking to newsmen on the development, the Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO), Austin Atekere, said that when he and his colleagues received the materials from the INEC headquarters in Yenagoa, they were not sorted until they got to the ward headquarters.
His words: “We didn’t observe it, only for us to get to our headquarters to realize that all the ballot papers for other elections were complete, except for that of the House of Representatives election. The ward has about 50,000 registered voters but we were given only 1500 ballot papers.
“As I speak with you, people have dragged me about and almost beat me up but the quick intervention of community members saved my life. However, we have contacted INEC and they have informed us that the situation is not peculiar to Agudama/Akenpai alone.”
