Reports of alleged violence and vote buying are currently rocking the conduct of the Anambra South Senatorial District and Onitsha North 1 State Constituency by-elections.
Meanwhile, voting started as early as 8.30 am in the two areas as electorates turned out in their numbers to cast their votes.
However, the BIVAS for the accreditation of voters performed optimally, though in some places it witnessed some malfunctioning and voters were compelled to vote manually with the approval of the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC and the political party agents.
In Orumba North local government area, voting started on time and security operatives were on hand to douse the near violence that would have erupted in Orumba North local government area following allegations that some officials of INEC were hiding materials.
Later voting continued in earnest, and people lined up to cast their votes.
At the Onitsha North 1 State Constituency by-election, it was reported that thugs were mobilised from Oba and Obosi in Anambra Central Senatorial District, forcing voters to vote for a certain yet to be identified candidate.
Consequent upon these incidents, the trio of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, All Progressives Congress APC, have been trading words over who is responsible for the incidents.
One of the Directors of Azuka Okwuosa’s campaign organisation, the Senatorial candidate of the APC, Mr Okelo Madukie, accused APGA of masterminding the incident, describing it as a rape of the democratic process.
“True to projection, a desperaté All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA) has placed Anambra South Senatorial District under violent siege in a bid to score unmerited victory in the ongoing Senatorial Bye-Election in the district”
“The lives of these two compatriots who are on duty for their party are in the hands of Mr. Obi, who rigged elections to become Ekwusigo Chairman’
“The majority Leader of Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Ikenna Ofodueme from Ichi Town, has also caused violent youth imported from Oba, Idemili South, to unleash violence across Ichi Town, singling out those not voting for them for violent attacks”, he said.
A member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mrs Chioms Chukwuka, alleged that the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA have been molesting voters, forcing them to vote for their candidate and collect the sum of N10,000.00 each.
But Ofodeme told reporters that the allegations are unfounded, adding that the process has been peaceful and that security operatives had earlier stopped those he called opposition from causing violence.
However, Madukife insisted that the incidents were caused by APGA, saying, “They brought thugs from Oba and Obosi in Idemili North and South local government areas of Anambra Central Senatorial District to cause trouble in Onitsha, and people are now afraid to vote for their preferred candidates.”
National Publicity Secretary of APGA, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, said those allegations are not true, adding that his party is on the ground, adding that Anambra is APGA land.
“Forget this bunch of losers who are crying wolf were there is non and that is how they have continued to complain, and mind you, most of them do not agents at those polling units and wards because I learnt that those approached for the job declined saying that there is no way their party can defeat APGA in Anambra state”
“You all are in Anambra state, and you all have been around and you have monitored most elections in Anambra state, and you know that losers will always blame their failure on the party that is on ground and the party that is winning ”
“We in APGA do not need violence or thuggery to win any election in Anambra state, and it is only the party that is not on ground that would want to use violence to achieve their respective aims”, he said.
