ActionAid decries shortfalls in Enugu council polls

Actionaid Nigeria, a civil society organization, has decried the shortfalls which characterized the just-concluded local government elections in Enugu State.

A statement by the Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, described the shortfalls as capable of slowing down the wheel of progress.

According to the statement, shortfalls observed during the election included late arrival of electoral officials, late opening of polling units, among others.

The statement reads: “Late arrival of electoral officials translated to opening of the polls late and this discouraged some voters were from voting. The accreditation and voting process started late and only happened in 60 per cent of the polling units across the 17 local government areas observed. In 51 per cent of the polling units, voters were not required to present their Permanent Voter Card (PVC) before casting their votes, raising questions about the integrity of the voting process.

“Also, there were insufficient voting materials, inadequate result sheets and poor conduct of party agents. Security presence was noted in only 70 per cent of polling units observed, while polling units like Umuozzi II and Afor Ofufe, reported no security officers, thereby exposing voters to violence.

“Party agents also conducted themselves poorly. In 79 per cent of the polling units observed, we noticed attempts of political party agents to interfere with the process. Vote buying was another anomaly noted in the election. Some party agents were reportedly seen giving money to ENSIEC officials and voters. This was noticed in about 12 per cent of the polling units in the 17 councils observed, including CPS Amankwo Ndiagu-001 polling unit in Ezeagu council. This manifested in form of material and financial inducement.”