Supplementary Election: Voter Apathy In Imo

Voter apathy trailed the March 23 supplementary House of Assembly election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Imo.

The Premier Newspaper   reports that there was low turnout of voters in the five affected Local Government Areas of the state on Saturday.

The March 9 elections in the affected LGAs which included Ngor-Okpala,  Isu,  Orlu, Oguta and Ikeduru were declared inconclusive by INEC as a  result of irregularities.

The premier news also reports that the exercise was largely peaceful in the 179 affected polling units with materials arriving on time and accreditation beginning at 8.30 a.m.

Some eligible voters who spoke to our correspondent, however, cited indifference among other things as the reason for their lack of interest in the process.

Mr Paulinus Ndubuisi,  a tailor said:  “I lost interest after the last election because I cannot continue devoting all my weekends to elections.”

Another voter, Mrs Ihuoma Opara,  a mother of three, blamed her indifference on INEC,  saying that the election had been postponed several times and she had three children to cater for.

An INEC official who pleaded anonymity, however, called on the electorate to eschew all forms of apathy,  noting  that “this is one avenue by which we demonstrate our patriotism,  as Nigeria is the only country we can call our own.”