The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Monday blamed the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, for the low turnout of voters during the Anambra governorship election held on Saturday.
Speaking with Channels TV on Sunday, INEC’s Supervising Resident Electoral Commissioner to Anambra, Sam Egwu, said the fear IPOB has been able to instil in many residents contributed to the low turnout of voters.
He said, “There is a whole state of fear that has been created by the politics of agitation for a separate state in this part of the country,”
“IPOB has been able to enforce the sit-at-home order over time. So the fear of IPOB has become the beginning of wisdom.”
Egwu, who was the SREC for Onitsha North, Onitsha South, and Ogbaru LGAs, noted that IPOB had a significant impact on the voter turnout.
He stated that the turnout was less than 25 per cent of all accredited voters across the 21 LGAs.
“We have had a problem with extremely low voter turnout. The voter turnout, I think, if you are scientific in terms of what we are seeing in many local governments, you are actually dealing with less than 25 per cent voter turnout, and this is not really good for our democracy,” he said.
On Monday, INEC declared the Anambra governorship election inconclusive until a supplementary election is held in 362 polling units in Ihiala Local Government Area on Tuesday, November 9.
With the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Prof. Charles Soludo leading the polls, INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof. Florence Obi, said a winner could not be announced due to the insufficient margin of victory.
Despite technical glitches, logistics, and uncertainties over security, the governorship election was conducted in 20 of Anambra’s 21 LGAs.
