Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ebonyi South Senatorial seat, Silas Onu; and his counterpart in the Labour Party (LP), Linus Okorie; have alleged voting buying in the bye-election held on Saturday.
Onu made this known at Obiozara ward, ishieke village Square polling unit in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
He accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of non-deployment of ad hoc staff to some polling units, even as he stated that accreditation and voting commenced very early.
He explained that there were attacks on the members of his party, as he noted irregularities and vote buying were observed across his Senatorial district. He called on the relevant authorities to rise up to their responsibilities.
Stating “sadly with all the promises of secuirty, you will not find them in any pulling unit, here in my pulling unit, they have dedicated a huge sum of money , house of assembly members, you will see them buying votes. Of course, security, DSS have cautioned them, yet there are buying votes, other pulling units, they openly carried ballot boxes, we are back to the era of ballot box snatching.
“They openly carried ballot box and ran away with them, whatever they want to do with them, I do not know, ” he said.
On his part, Okorie complained of late arrival of election materials as he also noted that some voters were attacked by thugs, who disrupted voting process in some polling units.
The LP candidate spoke at Enuagu-Onicha ward, Isiama Town Hall Polling Unit 011 in the Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, were he cast his ballot.
He alleged that some of his supporters were de-enfranchise following intimidation from thugs allegly sponsored by the ruling party.
However, SpringNews findings showed that the election was generally peaceful across the five LGAs in the senatorial district. But there were also reports of voters’ aparthy in Ohaozara, Onicha and Afikpo LGAs.
At Nworie, Market square pulling unit 014, Umudomi ward only few voters were seen at the scene.
In Ishieke Village Square, Obiozara and the Main Market polling unit, the story was the same as few voters were seen on ground to exercise their franchise.