Traders open shops amid election exercises in Awka

THE much anticipated March 18 INEC gubernatorial cum House of Assembly general elections earlier scheduled to have taken place on March 11 2023, coming a fortnight after the February 25 2023 Presidential/ Senate cum Federal House of Assembly in the country was just another tale as it was welcomed with mixed feelings by the electorates.

In the Aguoka axis of Anambra State Capital, the exercise was mulled by low turnout of voters, even as some traders showed up to sell their wares while the voting exercises was on going in all the polling units making up the Aguoka Ward 8.
National Light gathered that as soon as the INEC officials arrived, voting commenced immediately with no much ado as the voting exercise went smoothly and professionally on the side of the personnel, a more improved method than was experienced in the last presidential/ Senate cum Federal House of Assembly Elections .

While those who had been accredited had cast their votes, the officials had to wait for voters to turn up for the exercise as there was no queue at all.

Even hours later after the commencement of the exercise, majority of the residents were still in their houses showing no interest for the election at all or feigning to be in oblivion while others stated that INEC is being partisan and may affect their votes.

Another twist to the voting exercise was at the popular Ukwoji Market, where a good number of traders open their shops for the day’s business as they ply their wares amid the voting exercise, apparently oblivious of what the day stood for. Some of the traders approached declined to speak while some said they had lost faith in INEC on account of the experience they had in the last election exercise.

The Saturday House of Assembly Election on March 18 went well. The INEC officials were on time; the materials for election were ready and the BVAS was working well. People came out to cast their votes but it was not like the presidential election on Saturday, February 25. People came and cast their votes and went home, some stayed and counted the votes

Former Managing Director, Anambra Broadcasting Service(ABS), Mrs Chinwe Nnedum emphasised that the election was very peaceful and that there was low turnout of people on Saturday March 18 to cast their vote for the Anambra State House of Assembly unlike the Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives election on Saturday, February 25, because people weren’t happy. She cast her vote in Polling Unit 004.

Rev.Fr Godwin Okoye did not state that the result of the election should be accepted in good faith; rather, he said that people’s bitterness about the pronounced results of the presidential and national assembly elections of 25th February might have caused the low turn out of voters on 18th March.

He went further to say that keeping oneself away from votings because of that is not the best option. Further votings do not imply that one has accepted the past results which his spirit still rejects. In the same vein, despair is not worthy of emulation.

In his opinion, the peaceful and orderly nature of the State House of Assembly election conducted in Anambra State on 18th March 2023, with particular reference to his polling unit at Awka, gives the hope that many of those to be declared winners are likely to be accepted by the people.

Advice: . . . Let everyone maintain justice wherever he finds himself . . . the Creator(God) is the owner of authority . . . at all times, each person (leader or the led) is supposed to look out for what this owner of authority, the Creator (God) wants, and do it.