Emenike Votes, Confident of Victory, Lauds INEC for Improved Voting Process

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Ikechi Emenike, has expressed confidence in emerging victorious in the governorship contest.

“I’m confident of victory. You can see the mood of voters. We are looking forward to victory by the grace of God by tomorrow,” he said.

Emenike, who cast his vote in polling unit 11 Umukabia Okpuala at exactly 10:13a.m, told journalists that he was happy with the arrangements put on ground by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the voting process was going on smoothly.

“You can see that the BVAS is working well and I’m sure you can see that quite a lot of people are desirous to vote,” he said.

He advised the electorcal umpire “to ensure transparency and fairness to everybody”.

Meanwhile, the governorship and state assembly election has shown remarkable improvement on the part of INEC as deployment of election materials was done on time.

In most polling units monitored at Umuahia North and Umuahia South Local Governments that make up the capital city, voting started on or before 9.00am.

However, the enthusiasm of voters which manifested in the huge turnout of voters very early on voting day during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly polls was lacking this time around.

A senior citizen, Chief Orji Ukaonu, said that people have a sense of disappointment over the outcome of the presidential poll and it has dampened their enthusiasm for the governorship and state assembly elections.

“People were driven by the enthusiasm generated by the candidacy of Peter Obi and they trooped out in large numbers to their polling units as early as 6.30am.

“But after the result was announced, people were disappointed and unhappy. You can see the effect today as electoral officers are telling ones waiting for voters instead of the other way around,” he said.

But a party agent, who gave his name simply as Ukoha, said that it was expected that large number of voters would still turn out to vote “if they hear that the voting process is no more rigorous as it was during the presidential election”.