Residents shun Anambra LGA polls, as commercial drivers defy movement restriction and go about There business.

Residents of Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra shunned the 2024 Local Government Elections organised by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), held yesterday.

According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) residents were seen within their neighborhood, but failed to proceed to voting points.

Meanwhile, both the Anambra State governor, Professor Charles Soludo, and the Anambra State House of Assembly Speaker, Somtochukwu Udeze commended the polls.

The local government election in Anambra was last held 11 years ago.

Commercial drivers were seen going about their daily business, thereby, disregarding the state order on restriction of movement.

Speaking, some residents lamented the credibility of the electoral umpires, having failed to meet their demands in previous elections.

Mrs Chinyere Olisa explained that she was left frustrated when she was told that her name was not among the accredited voters during the 2023 presidential election.

A tricyclist, who plied the popular Old Road to Nkpor junction, Samuel Chidi, said that he had been carrying out his business as early as 6:30 a.m. and had no hope of going to cast his vote.

Chidi said that the people’s votes no longer counted as the electoral umpires had penciled down those they would announce as the winners at the end of the exercise.

Governor  Soludo, on Saturday, commended the peaceful conduct of the exercise.

Soludo arrived at his Polling Unit, 002 located at Ofuiyi Square, Umueze at Isuofia Ward 13, in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra, and cast his vote at exactly 11:45 a.m.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after voting, Soludo said that reports showed the polls were going on smoothly and peacefully at the polling units across the state.

He commended the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) for early commencement of the voting process in the state.

“This voting exercise is a promise kept. This will be a huge example of Local Government elections being conducted transparently and creditably.

“From the reports I got before coming to cast my vote, people are voting peacefully, as you can see, the election is going smoothly here and in other parts of the state.

“From fillers, we are getting, there is massive enthusiasm, everybody endorsing the great work we have done, the only party that fielded candidates for all the 21 chairmanship and 326 councillorship positions

“For us, what is going on in the state is almost like a mock referendum and we are optimistic that the will of the people will prevail,” he said.

The governor urged other electorate to come out en masse and participate in the ongoing polls.

“From fillers, we are getting, there is massive enthusiasm, everybody endorsing the great work we have done, the only party that fielded candidates for all the 21 chairmanship and 326 councillorship positions

“For us, what is going on in the state is almost like a mock referendum and we are optimistic that the will of the people will prevail,” he said.

The governor urged other electorate to come out en masse and participate in the ongoing polls.

The Anambra Speaker, Somtochukwu Udeze, also commended the people of the state, especially, Ogbaru Local Government Area for peaceful local government elections

He also hailed Soludo for providing adequate security and enabling the environment across the State.

Speaking at Atani, Ogbaru Council Area shortly after voting in his polling unit- 007, Udeze expressed satisfaction with the large turn-out of voters in the area.

He noted that the electorate were happy that democracy and more development projects would be brought to them through the local council election.