Explosions Rock Enugu as Council Poll Holds

Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

Two early morning explosions suspected to be Improvised Explosive Devices at Ogbette West Ward 6 on Brodrick Street in Coal Camp area of Enugu North and Obeagu in Awkunanaw in Enugu South nearly marred Saturday’s council election in Enugu State.

Also initial logistics challenges occasioned by non-availability of result sheets at polling units were equally resisted by politicians resulting in late commencement of voting.

The explosion at Camp injured two persons, destroying a Mercedes Benz car and a shop while that of Obeagu destroyed many vehicles.
The police in Enugu said that they were able to arrest three persons suspected to be connected to the Obeagu explosion.
But beyond the initial hiccups, voters still trooped out in their numbers across the local government areas to exercise their franchise.

Chairman of the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), Chief Mike Ajogwu who reacted to the initial problems said the process was delayed because election results were not despatched with the materials.

“They were looking for the results before taking part, and they are very right. We are now sending out the result sheets,” he said.

However, despite these occurrences, the local government election went ahead as scheduled in most of the local government areas even when sensitive materials arrived in many of them very late.
However, in the Enugu North senatoral zone, the election was largely peaceful, particularly in Udenu, Igboeze North and Nsukka councils.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who voted before 12 noon at his Orba Ward 1 polling unit said that the peaceful nature of the election showed that democracy is on course in the state.

He urged politicians taking part in the exercise not to see it as do or die affair, but a brotherly contest, urging them to ensure that it remained peaceful from beginning to the end.

He urged the PDP supporters to vote and protect their votes.

On his part, former governor of the state, Sullivan Chime however cried foul, insisting that the exercise did not comform with democratic tenets.

Chime who voted at his Udi ward regretted that result sheets were not made available to the polling station, accusing PDP members of frustrating the exercise.

He therefore called for the cancellation of the entire exercise, saying he would be surprised if the electoral umpire would go ahead to announce the results of the poll.

Also, at Oji River concil, an APC chieftain, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu told newsmen that when result sheets were not produced at the local government secretariat for the election, his party supporters protested and some policemen in the entourage of the State Commissioner, DanMalham Muhammed shot two of their members.

According to him, fracas had ensued and out of fear the electorate dispersed until mid-afternoon when results sheets were brought.

But, the police in a statement signed by the PPRO, Ebere Amaraizu dismissed the alleged shooting in Oji River, saying that it was a mere rumour.

According to Amaraizu, some electoral officials and materials were held hostage by some group of persons who had insisted that there would be no election in the area and these group of persons threatened to burn down the secretariat should election go on.

He said that the situation lasted until the Police Commissioner arrived with his entourage in continuation of their tour of polling station and booths to monitor security situation.

He said that following the arrival of the police the issue was professionally handled and the crowd was dispersed and normalcy returned as electoral materials were distributed for the commencement of election.

As at the time of filing this report, voting was still going on in some of the centres while those who started early had concluded and only waiting for the votes to be counted.