The Enugu North Senatorial bye-election was on Saturday marred by the late arrival of electoral materials, leading to delayed commencement of voting in several polling units across the senatorial district.
The election, conducted to fill the seat left vacant following the death of Senator Okey Ezea, suffered logistical setbacks that slowed the voting process in multiple locations.
Our correspondent, who monitored the exercise, observed that voting began very late in most polling units due to the delayed deployment of materials and election officials, creating frustration among early-arriving voters.
Despite the initial challenges, some polling units eventually witnessed steady turnout as voting commenced later in the day.
At Amube Ward polling units 7 and 8, where former Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi cast his vote, the Deputy National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (South), Dr. Ben Nwoye, acknowledged the logistical setbacks but maintained that the process remained largely peaceful.
“So far, people are turning out in their numbers, this society has served it right, and APC members are coming out to vote, and so far everywhere that I’ve seen, there is no violence,” Nwoye said.
He described the election as generally peaceful, expressing confidence that his party would emerge victorious at the end of the process.
On his part, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the election, Nestor Ezenwa, also noted that while some areas recorded incidents of disruption, the overall process was ongoing, expressing optimism about his chances.
“There was violence in some areas,” Ezenwa said, though he expressed confidence that he would ultimately win the contest.
At the time of filing this report, official results of the bye-election had yet to be announced, with stakeholders awaiting collation and final declaration by the electoral authorities.
