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By Madu Obi
The people of Alor in Idemili South local government area of Anambra State on Monday protested the local government election conducted weekend, alleging that
armed security operatives and politicians intimidated and prevented them from voting for their preferred candidates.
Alor is the hometown of the former governor of Anambra State and immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Dr. Chris Ngige.
The ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, won all the 21 chairmanship and 326 councillorship seats during the excercize conducted by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC.
The protesters alleged that election materials were incomplete, and voting did not take place in Alor Ward 1, which comprises three villages of Umuokwu, Uruezeani, and Ide - the village of Senator Ngige.
They displayed placards with various inscriptions, including "ANSIEC fix a new date to conduct LGA Election in Alor Ward 1", "ANSIEC, Governor Soludo come and conduct LGA election for us", "What were the Police and Army doing on Saturday at all polling units?"
"Armed security men at Polling Units made us boycott the Anambra State LGA election", "Incomplete election materials, no voting in Alor Ward 1", and "Alor Peoples Convention leadership has become partisan".
Chief Ikechukwu Nwafor-Awa, Chairman of Igboeze International Association Nigeria and the Diaspora, addressed the protesters, stating that what happened on Saturday has never occurred in the community's history since 1979.
He emphasized that Senator Ngige, who votes in Alor Ward 1, has never used armed security operatives to intimidate voters.
He said: "We waited for ANSIEC officials, who arrived around 10 am, but without Booth 3 of Okwu Memorial Primary School and its election materials, Booth 1 and its election materials for Nkwo Ide Square, and Booth 6. These booths have the highest votes for all parties," Nwafor-Awa said.
"We were surprised to see the President General of the community and member representing Idemili Constituency in the State House of Assembly storming the Ward with armed police men, soldiers, and hooded vigilante operatives.
We became intimidated and left the election venues, as nobody voted until the time for election was over."
"What happened here on Saturday was an affront to Senator Ngige and us, and we will not accept it".
The protesters demanded a new election date, urging Governor Chukwuma Soludo and ANSIEC to ensure that the electoral process is free and fair and warned against declaring a winner in an election that was not conducted.
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