Disruptions, Voter Apathy Trail Supplementary Elections In Rivers 

Disruptions of voting process as well as low turnout of voters have trailed the supplementary elections in Port Harcourt 2 and Khana/Gokana federal constituencies in Rivers State on Saturday.

The supplementary elections were held in  377 polling units in Wards 5, 10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,17 and 18 in Port Harcourt City local government area as well as in 42 polling units in Wards 4 and 7 of Khana local government area of the state.

LEADERSHIP gathered that midway into the exercise at Ward 4, Unit 5 in Sogho community of Khana local government area, disagreements first ensued between agents of political parties on the actual location where the polling units should be.

The disagreement was immediately resolved and accreditation and voting commenced around 11:00 am, almost three hours behind schedule, due to late arrival of materials from the Registration Area Centre (RAC), also located within the Sogho community.

However, as the voting was going on, another disagreement started between agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and those of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), forcing the ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to leave the scene.

It was unclear what caused the disagreement between the agents of the two political parties, but the INEC ad-hoc staff took with them the result sheets, BVAS machines, ballot boxes, and ballot papers.

It was also not clear if the fleeing INEC ad-hoc staff, who in their haste, left behind the voting cubicle, counted the votes cast or had the result sheets signed by agents before leaving.

In the Port Harcourt City local government area where supplementary elections held in 377 polling units in Wards 5, 10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,17 and 18, LEADERSHIP observed that there were low turnout of voters even though the exercise was peaceful.

The low turnout, it was gathered may not be unconnected with the decision of the Labour Party (LP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to participate in the exercise in the area.

The APC leadership in the local government area, also announced the withdrawal of its support for its House of Representatives candidate, Collins Owhonda, for alleged anti-party activities.

Owhonda had on Friday night announced his withdrawal from the race and declared support for the candidate of the PDP, Mrs. Grace Amadi.

He said: “I don’t want to contest again. My party is not serious. So, I have withdrawn; nobody can compel me because I am not an independent candidate. I don’t have money to waste when my party is not serious about winning election.

“The honourable thing for me to do is to withdrawal. I cannot continue to be in a party that is not serious; there factions everywhere. I have already pitched my tent with the PDP. They are more on ground and they are very serious.”